Teenagers
by itsawitch
Summary: The young Battousai is forced to share a room with a girl, about as old as he is, with midnight black hair, bright blue eyes, and the name of Kaoru.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer - I own NOTHING!! *cries and curls up into a ball*

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There was a short, gurgled cry, that echoed down and along the streets of Kyoto. Several people could be seen darting across streets, hiding in their homes, trying to hide from the multiple assassins, from the multiple sword fights, and the multiple murders.

One of these darters hid in an alleyway, holding her breath, and holding a hand over her heart, sure that someone would be able to hear her beating, rushing heart. There was a sound of sandals hitting the dirt streets, and she tried to crouch down, but it was too late.

Blue eyes met with amber. Fear seized the woman, and for a moment, he only stared at her, and then glanced at his sword.

She bolted. She tripped. Right into a puddle, too. Cursing her luck, she pushed herself out of the water. Damn kimono. She took the chance to look behind her. The man with the amber eyes seemed to bite his lip, before looking at his sword again, as though trying to make a hard decision.

The fact he may not want to kill her never came into her mind, and she got back on her feet and ran forward again. Pulling up the silken fabric of her robes, she ran forward again, finding the nearest inn and running in.

The innkeeper was an old lady, who'd been carrying a bucket and a mop, both of which fell down at the sight of the soaked young lady running into her inn. A curse fell out of the elderly woman's lips, as she saw the dirty water spill all over her floor.

"Oh, oh my goodness! I'm sorry! I swear, I swear I'll help clean everything.. I just.. I just need a room, there's fighting outside, and I.. I.." Kaoru ran out of word, and wiped under her eyes, the frustration and horror of her situation simply too much for the fourteen year old girl.

The elderly woman sighed in exasperation, putting her hand on the teenager's shoulder, "No, no.. That's quite alright. Come on sweetie, let's get you a room." And with that, the old innkeeper led the crying young girl down a hallway.

The old woman stopped in her tracks as realization dawned on her. She had no room! Her last room had been taken up by the…

Her thoughts were halted as the girl made a rather loud sniffle, and her emotions turned sour as she thought of the last option available.

The rooms were full of Ishin Shishi, and the only one she could think of as honorable, was the one the young woman would find the most frightening. She led the teenager up to the room, figuring it was a now-or-never type of moment.

"Here is your room," the innkeeper murmured softly, reluctantly. Kaoru nodded and sniffled, running her hand underneath her nose, already getting over her small bout of frustration, "Thank you."

She bowed down to the innkeeper, not seeing the regretful smile the elder gave to her, and slid open the door, making a small gasp.

"Who is that?"

A menacing voice came from behind the two women, almost in a growl. The innkeeper turned around a second before the teenager, "Now now, Himura.."

Kaoru turned around, and once again, blue met amber. Time seemed to slow, and she heard every, single, heartbeat in her chest.

A teenager with bright red hair looked back at her, his expression angry, and then surprised. It seemed he remembered her as well…

* * *

A/N - I don't remember where this story was going.. Ideas anyone?


	2. A Day in the Inn

A/N - And this is the second chapter of Teenagers. Please note that throughout this chapter, I won't be using Kenshin's name, simply because most people only know him as Battousai or Himura.

* * *

Kaoru made a small grunt, scrubbing the wood floors with a brush, before dipping it into the bucket next to her. She squeaked as the soapy water splashed a little more than she'd hoped it to, earning herself a large amount of water on her coal gray robe, and more than enough suds to turn her once dry hair into a fragrant, damp, mess.

She shook her head, only to groan as water splattered everywhere, and continued to scrub the floors. At least she was safer in the hallway, scrubbing floors, than she was outside. Or, she could only imagine, in the dreaded meeting room. Boisterous laughter exploded from behind the thin doors, leading to a marching innkeeper coming from no where, to rap her fan on the door, "Be quiet in there!"

The men in the room immediately hushed up, and except for a few errant chuckles, it was calm. Returning to her scrubbing, Kaoru's mind wandered off, thinking back to the night before.

_Once again, blue met amber. Her breath halted in her throat, and her heartbeat suddenly felt really, really loud. Her hands twitched, wanting to shield her face, her ankles turned slightly to the left, and her legs tensed, ready to flee. But even then, she knew it was futile, she was, in truth, rooted to the spot in terror._

_The innkeeper sighed softly, and reached out to pat on Battousai's arm, shaking her head, "Now, now, Himura. This is going to be your roommate."_

_Both teenagers turned towards the woman, Kaoru having broken from her paralysis. "What?" the both exclaimed, before looking at each other, looking over the other. Kaoru's jaw tightened and straightened, and her chin tilted up, getting a look of defiance, before she spun towards the innkeeper._

_Her willpower crumpled when she saw the older woman's look, giving her absolutely no room to argue. From Battousai's frozen facial features, his mouth halfway open in just the way hers was, she knew the argument was over._

"_I'll just…sleep in the hallway," he muttered, after the innkeeper had begun to walk away. _

"_Um, okay."_

She heard a man stand up in the room, and grabbed a small towel, beginning to wipe down the floor, so hopefully, no one would slip. She heard them say their last words to each other, and heard only one, articulated sentence from the bunch, "Himura, stay here."

Gathering her things in her bucket, she had just begun to stand up when men began to file out of the meeting room. Keeping her blue eyes on the floor, she tried not to acknowledge the grins from the warriors. The door was left open, and she waited patiently for the last two men, Battousai and Katsura to leave the room, so she could clean up.

To her surprise, or perhaps, horror, Katsura looked up and caught eyes with her, and smiled, beckoning her in. Her feet were planted on the ground, and her pose changed slightly, giving her the appearance of a person who would not move. She noticed how Battousai's pose shifted in just the same way.

Katsura rolled his eyes and chuckled, once again, waving her in, "Now come on, girl, I don't bite." He looked at Himura, grinning, and was greeted only by annoyed, violet eyes. The young woman, Kaoru, the innkeeper had said, took a few steps into the room, her eyes full of defiance. Such an odd pair they made, now that he saw them side by side.

Katsura motioned for them both to sit down, which they did quickly. Both of their figures were rigid, both glaring secretly at each other from the corner of their eyes. He bowed down before Kaoru, watching as she did the same, hesitantly.

"Now, Kaoru-san, I hear that you are sharing a room with Himura-san."

The young woman blinked in surprise, before nodding. Himura's eyes turned wary, and was about to open his mouth to speak, before becoming interrupted.

"I also hear that he's sleeping in the hallway now."

Both teenagers began to speak at the same time, Kaoru's cheeks tinged pink, Himura's expression in that of embarrassment. Katsura held his hands up in surprise, "Wait, wait, wait! One at a time!" Slightly off balance at the onslaught, he had to catch himself from falling over backwards.

"Katsura-san," Himura began immediately, "I volunteered to sleep in the hallway." He noticed how Kaoru nodded vehemently at the statement from the corner of his eye, and waited until both of them were still before he started to speak again.

"Himura, I hope you realize, that we need you sleeping in a room, on a futon. Especially now that it's starting to get cold again, the hallway is simply too-" Both voices began to interrupt him, and, once again off balance, he noticed how they both leaned forward in such a way, as though about to attack him.

"Battousai-san may sleep in the room," he picked out from Kaoru, "I will sleep outside in the hallway."

"I'll be fine in the hallway, I won't catch a cold, and even then.." he heard from the redheaded assassin.

A stern look from the older man silenced both of them, and both parties looked on the ground. The girl, he noticed, made a zipping motion along her lips. Taking that as a cue to continue, he started over again, "The hallway is too drafty for anyone to be sleeping out there, especially now that winter is around the corner."

Both Himura and Kaoru looked up at him, their expressions giving him the idea that they wanted to speak again. Holding up a hand, he continued, "Himura, you need to stay healthy, and even a small cold will burden your.. Job. And Kaoru-san, you need to work around the inn to pay off your stay here, and being sick will only put you further in debt to the inn."

He saw her jaw tighten, and made a rush to finish before either of the parties would try to voice their opinion again, "Share the room."

He tried to make a finishing glare, to cement his orders, but the effect was lessened by a few wolf whistles and clapping from outside.

Then there were cries of pain, as the sounds of fans against shoulders were heard, along with the innkeepers voice, "Get outta here, you perverts!"

Kaoru looked down, her cheeks flushing softly at the whistles, and the young Himura looked at her and sighed softly. Both glanced a look at each other, and bowed down, as though synchronized, "We'll share the room."

* * *

They had barely made it out of the meeting room before Kaoru lost her temper. "Is there a dojo around here, Battousai-san?" she pleaded as they began to walk down to their room. He looked down at her, surprised, "No, we all practice behind the inn."

She nodded, seemingly lost in thought as they continued to walk. A silence wafted over them, letting Himura think for a few moments.

"_Himura, stay here," Katsura looked straight at him, beckoning him close. Himura walked over cautiously, and Katsura stood up, putting a firm hand on my shoulder, and pulling me close, unexpectedly. He whispered harshly into my ear, "This girl shouldn't be here, but we can't let her leave. She knows who you are.. Make sure she stays here until I say so."_

_He pushed me back, his features hard. He sat down and I did the same, about to ask a few questions, when I heard him beckon in the girl outside._

Kaoru stopped in front of their room, walking in without a second thought, and over to the closet. The young man behind her barely had enough time to stutter out a "What are you doing?" before she flung open the closet, reaching in a looking through _his_ clothes.

"Wow, why are all your clothes so tattered?" he heard her mumble, pulling out a gi and hakama, looking at him seriously, "Do you have any cloth bandages?"

She blinked as he ran forward, taking his clothes away from her arms, "Are you _serious_? You are _not _using my clothes." He watched in annoyance as she stomped both of her feet, planting her feet on the ground, "I can't practice kendo in a kimono."

He couldn't help but sneer at her, "Learn your gender, little girl. You shouldn't be playing swords anyway."

She put her hands on her hips, and leaned forward, smirking, "I could tell you the same thing, girly-man. Haven't hit puberty yet?"

* * *

Himura pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing softly as he heard her rummage around inside of the room. How the hell she had won _that _argument, he would never know. All he knew, was that in a matter of minutes, he was scurrying out of the room, licking his wounds and picking up the pieces of his shattered ego.

The door slid open, and she walked out, tying her midnight black hair into a ponytail, the high from her victory making her eyes sparkle, and her mouth lift up in an elated smile. Sure enough, his clothes fit her perfectly, and she shot him a grin, and pointed down the hallway, "Onward, Battousai!"

* * *

He watched her as she swung his sword, and hid his face under his red hair as a few of the other men shot his amused looks and laughed. He'd lent her his sword without a fight, his ego and confidence wary and hurt.

Ready to unleash full payback at what he guessed would be mediocre skills, he was reduced to nothing but a sad puppy, watching her skilled body handle his sword with practice and ease, in a style which he had never seen before.

Something he had managed to pick up, was the fact she'd yet to make any finishing moves during her practice. He stealthed forward, grabbing his other sword, turning it over so that, if he actually hit, it would be with the dull side. She looked like she could take the hit.

She turned towards him and ran, without hesitation. He raised his sword with ease, although in shock, "What is your name, Battousai?" she asked, not moving her sword away from his.

He pulled his sword back and attacked, fast enough that he didn't expect her to raise her sword in a fluid block. "What is your name, Battousai?"

He jumped back and rolled his eyes, "What's that style you're using?"

He watched her eyes light up and her smile, "It's a style my father made after he left the Imperial Forces."

Kenshin attacked again, and she squeaked, getting out of the way. She grinned and jumped forward, swinging for his shoulder, only to be blocked. "What's the style that you use, Battousai?"

He chuckled and whispered softly, "My adopted father taught it to me, it's a style that's been around for hundreds of years."

He watched as she leaned forward, using all of her weight to press her sword harder against his. He returned the technique, until the only thing keeping both parties up was the force of their swords pressing together. Their grins turned into hard lines, as they both began using more force, each trying to get the other to pull back.

"Himura! Himura!" Their concentration was broken, and both teenagers pulled back, looking at the man running towards them. "I'izuka-san." Kaoru and Himura turned towards the running man, each making small bows.

I'izuka returned the bows, and held out a small parcel for Battousai. Kaoru barely saw what was handed to him before Himura placed it in his sleeve. From what she could guess, it looked a lot like an envelope. A black, envelope.

His jaw clenched and he looked at I'izuka, "Get it done, tonight." Nodding, he looked at Kaoru from under his hair, seeing her shock. Grinding his teeth together, he looked at her, and jerked his head toward the inn.

She nodded and walked briskly across the small courtyard, until she was right at the door. The two men were conversing lowly, so low, in fact, that she couldn't hear a word, only tones. She entered the inn, and went around a corner, waiting for the two men to come back inside.

The man named I'izuka came inside first, and didn't notice her.

Five or so minutes later, Himura had yet to come back inside.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked back into the courtyard. The sun was getting further down into the sky, the clouds beginning to turn a deep red. In a panic, she realized what the envelope was for, and everything clicked.

"_Get it done tonight."_

"Himura!" Kaoru yelled and began to run towards the street. It was only maybe six o'clock, perhaps, maybe, he hadn't left yet.

There was a sound of splashing, and she looked towards the bathhouse. And, sure enough, the was a silhouette in the shape of a young man. Or perhaps a young woman wearing men's clothes. She decided to chance that it was Himura.

Stealthing over to the bathhouse, she opened the door and gasped at the sight in front of her. No longer was this man the Battousai, no longer a killer of men.

He was a broken boy, of perhaps fourteen years, washing and scrubbing his hands in a pail of water, his back arched, his chest shaking, tears dropping down his cheeks and dripping into the water.

"Himura-san!" Kaoru ran forward, falling onto her knees next to him, feeling the hakama she was wearing start to soak up water that the young man had spilt on the floor.

"Kenshin.." she heard him murmur, "My name is Kenshin."

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A/N - I'm sorry if that last part confused anyone. Seeing as Kenshin is only fourteen years old at the time of this story, I feel like assassination would have been a bit too much for him at such a young age, and so breaking down, I feel, isn't too out-of-ordinary.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, why both Kaoru and Kenshin had such a tense relationship with each other (i.e. glaring), isn't everyone a little tense when they have to share a room with someone? *giggle*

Read and review!


	3. Surprise Torture

Yes, this chapter is probably going to be confusing. Bear with me! Believe me when I say that it's needed for the rest of the story. Take this as the turning point.

Disclaimer - I own nothing!

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_I sent him off.._Kaoru thought sulkingly, sighing softly as she stared outside. _I sent him off to go kill someone.. _

She looked at the thin, sliding door that led to their room, waiting for the telltale silhouette that would say that the job was done. Looking despairingly out the window, she took a small sip of her tea, the slight motion being the only thing keeping her awake.

It was very quiet outside, and the small commerce happening in the town was enough to begin to lull her to sleep, and several times she caught herself snoring. It didn't feel like there was a war outside. Only a loud giggle and chuckles of laughing drunks really gave any true feeling that anyone lived in the city. All was calm.

The quiet of the night began to remind the small woman of the fact that she was alone, in a sense. Alone, in an inn, without her parents, or any family of any kind! Not that she had any family outside of her parents anyway, but still!

The closest she had to family was the elderly innkeeper, and perhaps, the redheaded murderer she was forced to live with. Bemused by the thought she tried to imagine living in a house with those two as her companions, the elderly woman her grandmother, the redhead.. Well, he certainly couldn't be her brother, could he? He didn't fit in that spot just right. A cousin.. No.. no..

_Of course, you know why you don't have any family. _A cruel voice in the back of her mind murmured. Pain shot through her heart, making it harder to breathe, and several thoughts and images flashed through her mind, bringing her nearly to tears. She tried to think back to the makeshift family she had begun to form in her mind.

It calmed her down, as she began to gaze outside, now in more of a dreamland than real life. A feeling of distain ran through her thoughts, did she truly want a murderer like Battousai to be related to her at all?

_What right do you have to chastise that man for murder? You know that-_

"Stop!" Kaoru whimpered out loud. There was a stinging in her eyes, and her vision suddenly became very blurry, a tear feeling like it was rolling down her cheek. Wiping the wetness under her eyes, the nagging voice at the edge of her thoughts began to speak again. Clamping her hands on top of her ears, as though to stop the thoughts from entering her again, "I'm not a murderer!"

Her conscious was cruel, continuing to speak, despite Kaoru's soul begging it to stop.

_Yes you are. You took a life, you took many lives. Bear your punishment Kamiya, bear it well._

Her conscious was right, she would have to bear that punishment. Her hands pressed together, and she bent over, praying, "Please Kami, please clean my hands from the blood I have spilt, please spare me from the great punishment I deserve. Please!" She repeated the simple phrase over and over again, small hitches in her breathing occasionally interrupting the prayer.

Completely lost in her prayer and redemption, she missed a very important detail, that would turn out to be the very turning of her life. It was the silhouette she'd been waiting for, the silhouette of the young Battousai who, after hearing a few repetitions of her prayer, darted down the hallway.

* * *

The teenager ran straight to Katsura's room, panting slightly, more in surprise than exercise. There was a twisting in his stomach, as he debated over what he was about to say.

The older man looked up in surprise, his brush pausing over the paper, a drop of ink dropping from the bristles, staining the rice paper, "Himura?" As an afterthought, Kenshin figured he could've waited until he had gathered his thoughts before barging in.

Giving a hasty bow, violet eyes swirled in confusion, words forming on the spot, "Kaoru-dono is praying in our room." He nearly rolled his eyes at the vague statement, and tried to gather his thoughts before him commander asked him to elaborate.

A raised eyebrow was his reply, and for a second, Katsura truly believed the young man had lost his mind, "And..?"

"She's asking for forgiveness. I.. I believe she's killed someone before." Violet eyes swirled to amber. He knew that one prayer well, he had repeated it at least a thousand times in his stay at the inn. Disbelief continued to make his stomach twist in the oddest way. It felt wrong, nothing was making sense anymore. A young girl, with those pure blue eyes, couldn't kill anyone. Her sword style didn't even have finishing moves! It was a twist and then a stab when he realized that she could've been faking her style when she'd been practicing, trying to get him off guard.

It _had _worked. He _had _broken down in the bathhouse. And she _had_ been the one who'd seen him.

Lost in his thoughts, the young Battousai nearly missed the reaction of his commander. Nearly. The man straightened up, his neck becoming rigid, and he reached to the side, grabbing his sword. Two other men looked up, having sat next to him, and did the same.

"Katsura-san! Where are you going?" The teenager's amber eyes continued to swirl and fight with violet, and horror became etched upon his face at the expression all three men had. It was cold. Calculating. The look he had adopted only hours earlier, the look of an assassin.

"We have to kill the Kamiya girl, she may be an assassin, we can't stand to let appearances fool us." There was a look of regret clearly etched on his face, but his men came before one girl.

Two monotone grunts replied to the man, and they drew their swords as well. The blades twinkled menacingly, even in the dull candlelight. He could almost see the blue eyes reflected in the blade, right before it would be thrust threw her heart. He could clearly see, in his mind's eye, the sword stained with her innocent blood. A sick relief flowed through his veins as he met Katsura's eyes. There was a promise in them.

The promise that she would be executed swiftly.

"No!" Jumping onto his feet, he began to draw his sword, anger blinding him for half a second. _She's unarmed, she's innocent, she doesn't deserve to die like this._

Anger blinded him from the next attacks. There was the sound of air whooshing, and suddenly he was on his butt, looking at the sword pointed at his throat. An ache came from his stomach, where he'd been kicked, but the only thought he could understand was surprise, and betrayal. "You said we'd never kill innocents!" Anger ran through and his vision nearly turned red, his expression contorting to fit his emotions.

* * *

The exclamation was enough to break Kaoru out of her prayer. _Kenshin._

She fumbled around for a few seconds, groping the floor for a candle and a match. She threw open the door, hearing as it slid and rammed into the wall. The were sounds of a small scuffle down the left area of the hallway, and, calming down her heart, she ran down the hallway. If she had time to think about it, she would say that she was running towards possible danger for the sake of curiosity.

But it was for the redhead she feared was in trouble.

The scuffle and yells had stopped before she ran up to the door. She stopped in front of the door, wavering and unsure it was the right one, just at the moment when it was thrown open. A burly man looked down at her, his expression so murderously cold and calculating, that her grip weakened until it was nothing, and her candle dropped from her hand, clattering on the ground.

The small flame was stamped out by the man, before he reached down, grabbing her by her ebon locks, dragging her into the room.

For a second, all she felt was shock. Then there was pain.

Crying out, Kaoru thrashed wildly, trying to tug her hair free, and only managing to feel as a few strands ripped from her scalp. Her nails dug into the hand holding her hair, but it didn't twitch. A small, desperate scream was barely out of her throat before it was cut short as Katsura walked forward, covering her mouth with his hand. The kind eyes she was used to seeing were hard and cold, and from the sword he was holding, it was easy for her to piece two and two together.

She was going to be killed.

_This is your punishment.. _Her consciousness murmured, subdued with despair.

Her blue eyes darted wildly around the room, her breathing caught in her throat with fear. Looking desperately for a face that wasn't filled with the look that called for her death, her eyes locked with a kaleidoscope of colors, the mixed emotions swirling out of control in the young Battousai's eyes.

Amber was beginning to take over and dominate the violet of Kenshin's irises, and he drew his sword, his eyes locked with the fear-filled azure orbs of the muffled Kaoru. As soon as his sword was fully free of his sheathe, panic rose in her chest, and she began to writhe wildly, her screams still audible, even muffled. There was a strange tightening in his chest. _She's afraid of me._

"We hear that you're an assassin, Kamiya-san," Katsura's voice stopped her screams, and she looked up at the man in disbelief. All color drained from her cheeks, and her body became limp in shock.

She inquired something, but it was muffled by the palm, and, with a sigh, Katsura withdrew it. Turning her face to the side, she spit on the floor, working her jaw for a second, before turning back at the cold, dark eyes of the man in front of her.

"What?"

The was a sharp sound as a hand slapped against her cheek, and she made a small cry of surprise, followed by an angry cry of pain, "You bastard!" she screeched, and her hands left the hand clutching at her hair, about to hit the Ishin Shishi commander in her small fit of rage. Two other man grabbed her flailing arms, having come in at the ruckus. The hand holding her hair pulled tightly, reigning her in, stilling her motions, but not changing the murderous look on her face.

Another slap hit her cheek, and the force behind the hand quieted her down. Her blue eyes once again matched with Kenshin's, refusing to meet the commander's, and his irises were now the color of molten gold. "Katsura," a low voice called from his mouth, and a growl began to build up in his throat, "Let Kaoru-dono go."

The open hand that had once slapped her, now turned into a fist, and punched her in the jaw. Shock and surprise, along with disbelief colored her face. A thin line of blood trickled from a corner of her mouth, and discoloration was already beginning to form on her jaw line and cheek.

"You're a good spy, to have been able to fool the Battousai so well." The voice was so cold, it seemed impossible coming from a man who was always so kind to her.

The fist recoiled, and was about to hit her. Closing her eyes, she tensed her body, waiting for the strike.

It didn't come.

Opening one of her eyes warily, she saw Katsura's face first, filled with surprise, along with the fist stopped half a foot away from her jaw, blocked by another hand. And then there was fire. Hair that shone in the dim light, a thousand different colors. Just like fire.

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin started, his voice tense, "Are you an assassin?"

There was a sudden rush of joy, at the second chance he was giving her. She took it gratefully.

It was hard to understand her, her jaw being as swollen as it was becoming, "No.."

"Why were you praying for forgiveness?"

_He heard my prayers._

Blue eyes widened, and the fear that had been on her face before, turned into sorrow. Blinking her eyes a few times, her voice hitched when she began to talk.

"It's alright, take your time," his voice was soft and reassuring, but his amber gaze never left Katsura's, his hand never leaving the fist aimed at her.

Swallowing a lump that appeared in her throat, she began to speak softly, her voice wavering, "I killed t-three men."

The red hair nodded, "Did you assassinate these men?"

"No," Kaoru blinked a few times, tears running down her cheeks, "I was not ordered to kill them. They were not assassinated."

"Why did you kill them?"

"They killed my parents.." The young woman broke down abruptly, crying and sobbing. One angry, amber glare to the man holding her hair, along with the men holding her arms, and she was dropped from her trappings. Crumpling to the floor, she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Kenshin gasped as the hilt of a sword landed right next to his spine, knocking the air out of him. In shock, he turned around to his attacker, his commander. Katsura shook his head, giving him an apologetic smile, before striking him again.

The air knocked out of him, and unable to truly re-catch his breath, the young Battousai fell to his knees, his vision turning black.

The last thing he managed to see was Katsura approaching Kaoru, who was still doubled over, crying. The last thought he managed was a small prayer. _Please don't let them kill her…_

* * *

_Kenshin! Oh no, what happened to Kenshin?!_

Breaking from her earlier sorrow, she tried to run towards the redhead, only to find herself blocked. She looked around, shocked to see how quickly the men had moved to stop her. Panicked blue eyes looked back at the limp redhead, and her breathing sped up, making her head feel light.

Katsura sighed softly, running his hand through his hair. Holding out his hand to her, he made a forced chuckle when she didn't take it, "Come, Kaoru-dono. If you are to live, there are certain expectations you have to pertain to. I'd hate to kill you, you're too young to die."

Fear made her body still, and one of the men surrounding her grabbed her arm, pulling her up on her feet. Her arm pulled in just the wrong way, and the sharp pain forced her to move without thought, only going where they positioned her. They started to walk down a hallway, turning before a room she had never seen before, and had been forbidden to clean. The man shoved her in there, closing the door behind her.

It was getting light outside, she noticed, the sun starting to rise through the window. The window was suddenly dark as someone put a towel over it, and soon, the only thing she could see was shadows.

The shadow she identified as Katsura sat down on a cushion, motioning at the seat across from him. She took it cautiously, subconsciously fixing her sleeping yukata. It had gotten too revealing while she was being hit.

"Now, Kamiya-san, why did you kill those men?"

The backs of her eyes stung unexpectedly, and she blinked several times, trying to keep from doubling over in sorrow again, "T-they killed m-my parents." It was a soft whisper, barely making it out of her lips. Katsura leaned forward, trying to hear everything, before nodding.

The next question went on without feeling, he could've been asking about the weather, "Why did they kill your parents?"

"I don't know," she mumbled softly. It was a lie, and the tone felt wrong on her tongue. She knew he could tell through the lie, because he suddenly leaned in close, nose nearly touching hers, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Kamiya-san. Why did they kill your parents?" Katsura's voice was soft, but it wasn't comforting. Fear seized her heart in a way that she was unused to.

"They were looting our home and dojo. My father was unprepared to fight against katana and three men. My mother went down fighting them as well." It was no more than a whisper, but the commander only nodded, and didn't make her repeat herself or clarify.

"Did you flee your home?"

"No, I hid in the closet, where my father kept all of our.. Real equipment." Closing her eyes, she looked at the man through her lashes, hoping to dull down her glare enough that the man wouldn't kill her outright. How dare he ask her these questions! How dare he think her a coward! Why would she run away?

"How did you kill them?"

Pictures and images flooded her mind, and for a second, she simply drowned in them. Her mouth moved automatically, and she more heard than spoke the words as her voice went on without her, "My father and mother knocked two of them out, and the one left was delirious. There was a katana in the closet, and I just attacked the man.

He was taken off guard, and he died in only a few swings. When I found my parents, I killed the other two as well…"

The way she heard the words spill from her lips, guilt overtook every emotion. There was no longer sorrow, or anger, just guilt. There wasn't even physical pain. Hadn't her father taught her anything? Wasn't the sword made to protect those in need?

Lost in her thoughts, she missed as Katsura tapped a finger on his chin thoughtfully. He hated himself for the next question he was going to ask her. The girl in front of him was obviously absorbed in self-loathing, and the next things he was going to say to her, he could guess her answers.

Might as well start with something easier. "Do you think that you could kill a man who was not delirious or unconscious?"

Blinking, the question took her by surprise. Something that was not surprising, however, was the swell of pride and self-ego she had for herself, "Of course! I've been training since I was only two years old! I can take down men twice my age with only a bokken!" She meant knock them silly, but knew immediately after it was said how he'd take the words.

She also for-saw the question he was about to ask.

"Would you become an assassin for our cause, Kamiya-san?"

A small hiss left her lips, before a venom dripped voice answered his question, "Never. I will never murder again."

The man reached up and snapped his fingers, his face looking weary. Two new men immediately entered the room, grabbing her arms.

"I'm sorry Kamiya-san. But until you say yes, I have to subject you to the worst pain you've ever felt. Please, change your mind soon." And with that, he left the room.

Slightly confused with how a man could be so cruel, her thoughts were distracted until both men looked at each other and sighed.

"I'm sorry Kamiya-san," one of them murmured, "Please, just accept the offer soon, we hate to see you suffer. You're so young, you, never, in a thousand lives, would ever deserve this…"

And with that, the other man pulled out a candle, a match, while the other unsheathed his sword. With a small swipe, one of the men lit the candle, "You have maybe three minutes before there's enough wax to do this, please, consider the offer. And, if you refuse, please choose a phrase you would like for the rest of your life."

Staring into the flame of the candle, her jaw tensed and relaxed. _Please Kami, accept my decision, no matter what it is._

* * *

Kenshin groaned as he began to wake from the darkness, his mouth feeling a bit like it was stuffed with cotton. His mind was as fuzzy as the cotton he figured was put in his mouth, and he yawned sleepily, gripping his stomach. _Uhn, what happened?_

There was a sharp scream that pierced the early-morning autumn air, and suddenly, every thought became clear. He ran out of the room, nearly running into the innkeeper, who looked as though she would begin to cry.

He zoomed past her, and the old woman sat down by a wall, shaking her head. "Poor Kaoru-chan.. Poor girl.."

He ran into the room the screams and whimpers were coming from, to see the worst sight he had ever seen. Much worse than a dismembered body. His stomach churned and, for a second, he was sure he was going to be sick.

The back of her yukata had been ripped, along with the backs of her breast bindings. One of the men had giving her a small towel to cover the front of her chest, and she was gripping onto it like it was her lifeline. She screamed out again as the man poured some more hot candle wax onto her back, further scarring the marks on her.

_Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu _was carved into her back, and from the constant glances toward the blood-covered tip of the sword, discarded on the ground, that was what had caused the wounds. Terrified and pained blue eyes met with his, tears running down her cheeks.

His chest felt tight as one of the two men sighed, talking to her softly, "Kamiya-san, please accept the offer Katsura has been so kind to give to you."

Only sobs answered him, and for a second, Kenshin only stood there in shock. How horrible could this offer be, if she was willing to take this torture instead? The men looked wearily at the candle, and sighed, reaching for the sword. In a flash of insight, the young Battousai realized that they were going to re-cut her wounds, making them deeper, before pouring more hot wax onto them.

The words slipped from his lips without a second thought, "She accepts the offer."

Immediately, the man who had previously been pouring wax on her wounds reached over to a bucket, pouring what looked like cold water onto her back. A sigh of relief overcame her, and she shot a sad smile at him, a look that said she was angry that he accepted the offer for her, but somewhat relieved that he did. She fell forward in a dead faint, and stayed that way as the men sorrowfully began to pick wax off of her back, trying vainly not to wake her up. Her back twitched and she whimpered every now and then, but there was nothing else that suggested she was more than slightly aware.

The door behind him slid open, and Katsura and I'izuka walked in silently. The young Battousai regarded both of them with cold, amber eyes, a growl beginning to grow in his throat, "What do you want?" His hands twitched towards his sword, ready to kill both men without more than a second thought.

Katsura lifted up his hands, trying to look harmless, but his eyes didn't match his body language, "We're here with Kamiya-san's first assignment. You do realize what the offer was, don't you?"

"No," the redhead muttered, his posture straightening, "What is it?"

Katsura gave a sad smile, looking at the unconscious woman, who was whimpering, "She's your new partner Himura, congratulations."

Kenshin opened his mouth, about to ask for clarification, when I'izuka stepped forward, a black envelope in hand, placing it in his sleeve when the teenager tried to reach for it, "This is her first assignment, you have a week to train her how to steel herself to kill. If she can't do this, this will be her punishment."

Swallowing, his every movement was stiff as he leaned down, grabbing the wounded Kaoru and carrying her out of the room. He knew the true purpose for her, she was a decoy. She would be the one who would die if a stronger target was chosen for assassination.

"Fine," he spit out the word, giving a parting glare, before slipping out of the room, taking her to the bathhouse.

* * *

A/N - I know, I know, it was probably infinitely confusing, I'm sorry! I just.. It makes sense to me. .

Please read and review, I'll gladly clarify anything.


	4. Training

A/N- I Know, I know, it took a bit longer than I expected. Sorry. *sweat drop*

Anyway, I'm looking for a beta-reader willing to edit my work, and I'm much too embarrassed to ask anyone. So.. If you could drop a name, or even offer to edit, it would be much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. *sob*

* * *

**Chaper Four **

Kaoru groaned as the sun beams hit the spot right where her eyes were. Her eyes felt dry, and, dismissing it as just being tired, instead of the fact that hours before, she had cried herself into unconsciousness, she tried to roll over and press her head onto the pillow and get more sleep.

And then there was pain.

In the split second right after she felt the pain but right before she could register it, she remembered all of what had happened. The torture of hot wax being poured into bleeding wounds, the apologetic looks the two men gave her as they cut the words Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu into her back, and the sight of a panting Kenshin, as he ran into the room and accepted the offer Katsura had given her.

But then there was a peculiar feeling, like the skin on her back was ripping apart, and she screamed into her pillow, gripping it until her knuckles were well past white, her hands starting to tingle as blood rushed away from them. Even though her eyes were closed, she was sure that if she opened them, her vision would be littered with black dots. She was well past simply teetering on the edge of unconscious, more like there was a single thread that was wrapped around her wrist, keeping her where she was.

Oh how much she wanted that thread to break. It was almost too much to bear. Even though the pain was lessening with her screams, it wasn't enough.

"Kaoru-dono, hold still," it was that voice, the voice was the thread keeping her awake, yelling at her while she felt the back of her yukata slip off of her back, and the familiar feeling of bandages being pulled away from her back. They slid off easily, and Kaoru had the distinct feeling that it was because they were soaked with blood.

She jumped on the familiarity of the bandages, trying to forget about all the blood. It would be easier that she had just pulled a muscle in her back. It had happened frequently enough in the past, her mother was always bandaging her up when she was training. Yes, it wasn't the elderly innkeeper wrapping up her torture wounds, it was her mother, classicizing her for being too rash while she was sparing with another student.

But the pain was too much, and she felt her chest racking, trying to sob. Holding her breath to keep her chest still, Kaoru tried to think past that pain, but it kept gnawing at her thoughts, pushing itself to the forefront until it was all she could think about and wallow in. Lost in her daze, she nearly slipped back into the sleep she had been in only a minute earlier.

Oh, but the voice..

* * *

Kenshin nearly went to Katsura's room and killed him, seeing Kaoru writhe and scream into her pillow as she pulled and re-opened the wounds. Blood was seeping through the linen bandages the innkeeper had put on her, and he ground his teeth together when he screams quieted, and she became forcibly still, fighting against losing battle against unconscious.

The sliding door opened and the elderly woman scurried into the room, her arms full of bandages, while Katsura walked in, holding a bucket of water and a rag. It sloshed quietly in the bucket, and Kenshin chose to focus on that, instead of at Katsura's throat.

Katsura made a point of ignoring the glare the young Battousai was giving him, and set the bucket down next to Kaoru's whimpering body.

"I'm giving you an extra two weeks to get her ready, don't work her too hard, I'd hate for her wound to reopen again," the commander emotionlessly said, before slipping out of the room, forcing Kenshin to bite the inside of his cheek until it bled to keep from yelling and attacking.

_How dare he acts like this is okay!_

He heard the innkeeper sigh, dipping the rag into the bucket and run it over her back, "Shh, little one…"

A hushed scream was her only response, and Kaoru's body visibly tensed as the water ran over her back, turning the water into crimson streams that ran down her skin, staining the futon underneath her.

"Himura-chan, hold her down please," the woman murmured, in reference to the way Kaoru was squirming, and his body moved mechanically, putting two firm hands on each of the young woman's shoulders, keeping them still while the innkeeper washed the rest of the cuts. Her muscles were tense underneath her skin as her hands moved from the pillow down to the futon. One of his hands left her shoulders to rest over her hand, trying to loosen her grip gently.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed into the pillow, and no matter how much he hoped, he knew she was going to chew him up, and spit him up in her next few sentences. "You bastard! How _dare_ you accept that offer for me. You had no-" she broke off in a scream as the bandages were patted into place, ridding them of any air bubbles, and the gentle pressure make it feel like thousands of needles were pressing into her flesh.

Kenshin began to respond, but he could barely hear himself over her screams, and soon he was just apologizing over and over again, for putting her through pain, both physical, and, he knew, emotional.

* * *

She heard the tones of his words, but not syllables. It sounded like whatever he was saying was sad, apologetic. Her rage was dying because of the pain, and, exhausted and worn out, she decided it would just be best to accept whatever he was saying as an apology.

Kaoru picked out that odd scraping that was only made when a sliding door was closed, indicating that the innkeeper had left, and slowly, she pushed herself up, ignoring the warning tugs that her back gave her. The top part of her yukata hung around her waist, a detail she only noticed when Kenshin's face turned as red as his hair and his embarrassed violet eyes looked away from her in a rush.

Sliding her arms into the sleeves of her yukata, she ignored the heat playing on her own cheeks as she folded it, left over right, to hide her chest. She saw his eyes look back at her hesitantly, before the violet was looking deep into her azure, daring her to speak.

Kaoru took it as a challenge, and was about to start saying something. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, she just knew she was going to say something that she'd have to apologize for later.

He interrupted her.

"You're going to learn how to use a katana. No killing weak or unconscious men, you have to kill them in one strike," It was the only thing he could think of to say to her, and he regretted the tactless words immediately.

The words took Kaoru off guard, and she only stared at him, breathless for a second. And, with that second of hesitation, her palm slapped against his cheek, and he gripped his stinging skin in shock. His eyes met hers again.

Her bright blue eyes filled up with tears, and she reached forward, looking like she was about to wrap her hands around his neck. His hands clamped down hard around her wrists automatically about the same time she caught the fabric of his gi in her hands, pulling him towards her. Kenshin swallowed nervously, clueless about what she was going to do.

"Please. Don't make me kill again…"

It was a simple but heavy and weighted desire, and it was painful when he realized how he couldn't give it to her. Instead, he let go of her wrists, gripping her shoulders, and crushed her against his chest, blinking repeatedly to get rid of his tears. He could almost hear Hiko yelling at him for showing such weakness.

"Please.." he could feel her tears falling down on his collarbone as she repeated the word, over and over again. His chin rested on top of her midnight colored hair, and he rocked back and forth slowly, trying to soothe her. She only sobbed harder.

After perhaps half an hour he heard the door slide open, and I'izuka stood there, looking slightly out-of-place, holding a black envelope. He shot a fake grin, and held it out to the young Battousai.

One glare from amber eyes told him everything I'izuka needed to know, that the young Battousai would see him after the crying girl he held in his arms had calmed down. Oh, and that he should protect himself if he didn't want to be castrated.

* * *

Sighing, Kenshin took a tray of tea from the innkeeper, turning on his heels and bypassing the meeting room. Low murmured sifted through the rice paper door, but he ignored them. He hadn't been there since he'd walked in on Kaoru's torture.

It had been nearly a week since that event, and her wounds were coming together nicely. Really, the cuts didn't need to be that deep to inflict pain, especially when hot wax was involved. Already, she could move around without much trouble, and she was insisting on practicing with her bokken.

Speaking of bokken, they were the one thing he wished he had, so he could beat her over the head with it.

He slid open the door to their room, and wanted to tie her down to her futon when she flashed a smile at him, finishing the tie of her hakama, her hair held up into her favorite ponytail. She wanted to train.

She hopped up next to him, but even her bright smile couldn't make her saddened eyes sparkle like they should have been. She didn't like, scratch that, hated the idea of fighting, much less killing, but her love of kendo was warring with her morals, and the idea of pain was working against her. She didn't want to be subject to torture again.

It had taken maybe two days before she herself agreed to the terms Katsura had given her, but only on the condition that rigorous practice would be kept up despite her wounds, and that Kenshin would spar with her. According to her, if she was truly going to practice, she needed the best swordsman in all of Japan to do so.

Kenshin had wanted to die when Katsura agreed to the terms without a second thought, and then patted the young Battousai on the back, giving him a wink. The smile that Kaoru had given him, a look that said he'd been beaten while she was still bedridden, was almost too much to bear.

His fledgling manhood was shot down. Guess he'd have to wait a few years to get that confidence back.

A sharp tug on his ponytail broke him from his reverie, and he hissed, his hands automatically gripping at the strands she had tugged at, and he rubbed his scalp as ran down the hallway, out of the rice paper door and into the small yard in the back where the rest of the Ishin Shishi was sparring.

There was maybe one low whistle from one of the younger soldiers before Kenshin ran out after her, his eyes blazing despite his emotionless expression. Then the men just looked at each other, nudging one another and chuckling.

"Man, looks like Himura's gotten himself whipped," said one man with a mustache, laughing under his breath. The redhead glared and took his next running step at a certain angle, causing a few small clumps of dirt to fling at the mustache-man.

Kenshin reached out and grabbed Kaoru's wrist, tugging her next to his waist roughly, glaring at her when she began to speak. Apparently, that was the wrong the thing to do.

They had taken maybe ten steps, and he swore she had to have stepped on his foot at least fifty times before they got to the large tree where no one was practicing. Undoing his sheathe and katana from his hakama, he tossed it towards her. Her arms reached up, and her hand wrapped around the sheathe about midway, not surprising.

What was surprising, however, was how she pitched forward, nearly falling down, her arm making a weird jerk. A small curse fell from her lips, before she stood up straight again, holding the katana close to herself, "It's.. heavy.."

A chuckle reverberated from his throat and out his lips before he could stop himself, and he smiled at her sheepish grin. She flushed and coughed, unsheathing the sword, throwing the sheathe a bit a ways away, so that she wouldn't trip over it.

She was embarrassed enough.

Holding the sword out in front of her, her shoulders were already beginning to ache from the unfamiliar weight. Her feet stumbled just the slightest bit, and as she began her first kata, she could feel that her stance was off.

"Stop, stop," his voice murmured, and she halted, jerking a step forward as the heavy sword kept going even when she stopped. Her eyes met his and she gave another sheepish smile, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Go back to your original stance," he said walking around to her back. She did, and her feet moved half an inch more to the side as the blade threatened to pull her off balance.

Two hands pushed on her shoulders and she fell forward, barely catching herself from getting a mouth full of grass. "Ack! Kenshin!"

"Your stance is off, that's why you went off balance." He was behind her, and dodged the punch that would have hit his nose when she turned back around, "Do it again, let me help you. You already said that it was heavy."

With a soft sigh and a not-so-soft glare, Kaoru redid her earlier stance, while Himura stood behind her again, his hands covering hers, supporting the blade until her shoulders not longer ached with the burden.

He murmured instruction right behind her, and she felt her heartbeat getting faster, her head feeling uncharacteristically light as he helped her swing the katana. After a few minutes of simple swings, he pulled away, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the tree, watching as she repeated the same moves over and over again, before fluidly starting her kata.

* * *

_My arms are going to fall off._

Almost in response to her thoughts, Kaoru's arms hands let go of the hilt of the katana, and it fell to the ground with a muted _thump_. Her arms hung limply next to her sides as she dropped to the ground, panting.

Her shoulders burnt, giving her the feeling she had just lifted and carried around three hundred pounds for two and a half hours, instead of a katana, which the young Battousai was now re-sheathing and tying up to his hakama. He gave her a smile.

"You did quite well Kaoru-dono, you lasted much longer than I thought you would. How are your arms?"

Giving him a martyred smile, Kaoru rubbed her shoulders rolled them in small circles, "They hurt."

Kenshin looked up at the sky, which was a light blue, a few fluffy clouds floating lazily, and smiled. It had been a while since he'd looked at clouds before.

He looked back down when he saw movement, and saw Kaoru was now standing up, biting her lower lip gently, giving him a shy smile, "Kenshin, what do you say we walk around Kyoto a little bit, there shouldn't be any fighting, now that it's daytime."

"That.. That sounds.. I'll ask Katsura."

* * *

Her kimono matched the sky, Kenshin thought, bemused at how happy a person could be just because they were outside, and away from the inn where he had spent much of the last year or so. She twirled around, her sandals making muted sounds against the patted down, dirt roads.

"So, Kenshin, you know the city better than I do, where do you want to go?" She smiled brightly, tugging gently at the bottom part of her borrowed kimono, it was still a bit too big for her, despite the quick stitching she had done to it in her free time.

However, back to her question. He tried to think about what interesting places she'd want to go. He had a small bag of yen the innkeeper had given him, so that they could enjoy themselves. He was pretty sure that Kaoru had some too, seeing how she had a small bag tied around her wrist, keeping the contents safe from pick pockets.

"How much yen did the innkeeper give you?" he asked, and Kaoru thought for a moment.

"About enough for a winter kimono. This one's pretty old, and it's falling apart pretty fast," Kaoru murmured, walking slow enough that he was up next to her, before moving at her earlier speed, "Do you know a place where they sell some kimonos?"

"No." The answer was deadpan, and it deflated her hopes. Not that it was _that_ much of a surprise, seeing as his clothes were tattered and looked quite moth eaten. Kaoru made a small tsk, and sighed.

"Well, I guess we could go somewhere to eat. I'd like a bit of change in food."

Kenshin was about to agree, and his mouth was already open, before he tensed. It was still light outside, but there was the sound of running coming right at them.

And the sound of swords unsheathing.

The ways her eyes widened fractionally practically screamed that she heard it too, or, at the very least, had seen him tense up. He grabbed her in both arms, and darted into a nearby alleyway, guarding her body with his. He covered her mouth with one hand, but was relatively sure that she wouldn't have been able to talk, even if he hadn't.

"I swear, I saw him here. With some prostitute, I think," a voice said, probably only fifteen feet away. Kenshin saw Kaoru bristle, and felt her lips drag off of her teeth, looking ready to bite him. Hastily, he drew his hand away, giving her a warning glare.

She rolled her eyes at him. He saw one of her cheeks sink in slightly, and figured she was biting down on the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming out obscenities to those men.

Both teenagers stood there in tense silence, their breathing shallow and barely audible, even to themselves. Finally, there was the sounds of the footsteps of two people walking away.

Kenshin and Kaoru stood there for ten, agonizing minutes after the footsteps had disappeared, before Kaoru looked at him, asking him with her eyes if they could go, or if they had to stay.

"We can go," he murmured, taking one of her hands and led her down the alleyway, their footsteps making soft echoes as they headed back towards the inn.

* * *

A/N - Ah! I need a beta-reader! Please, does anyone know of one? Please and thank-you!

Read and review, tell me what'cha think!


	5. First Time

A/N- You might think this one chapter is really dark, I was trying to go more for their thoughts about these events than the other chapters, thus, even though it's covering less time, this chapter is much longer. I'm actually quite proud of myself, twelve pages..

Also! Still looking for a beat-reader! I'm scanning through the lists and I'm finding a few people that I'd like to contact, so hopefully, before I post the next chapter, it will be nicely edited and awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

This was her last day.

Kaoru sighed and looked out the window, pouting and chewing gently on her bottom lip. It was already bleeding she had to have been chewing on it all afternoon. Still, it felt numb. Her entire face felt numb, her entire body. Her heart even felt odd, and her stomach was like a museum of butterflies. Rubbing a calming hand over her abdomen, she looked back outside, studying the sky closely.

Night was closing in much faster than it had only days before. The sun seemed to sink down below the horizon with newfound speed, coloring the sky in reds and pinks for what seemed like only a few seconds, before the dark blue covered the air and seemed to choke her with its darkness. There were stars, and they looked back at her blank stare, but somehow, they didn't seem so beautiful, or merciful, than they had back in Tokyo.

She was lying to herself, she knew that. She knew what she had signed up for when she'd accepted the deal herself. She was an assassin. Hundreds were going to die by her sword.

Her spine shuddered, she was repulsed by herself.

Her tense ears heard with frightening clarity as the sliding door opened behind her, and a warm hand rested on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. It was a comforting weight, but she wished it came with the deep scent her father always had, not the sharp sandalwood that belonged to the Battousai.

She looked up into the eyes of her only friend in this wasteland known as Kyoto. Really, her only friend in all of Japan.. How sad.. Her lips managed to pull up to a melancholy smile, and even then, it felt wrong on her face. The violet eyes of her companion smiled sadly back, and he nodded fractionally, in a barely noticeable movement.

She turned away and blinked several times, trying to rid her eyes of the awful stinging that came right before crying. She wasn't a little girl anymore.

She was a soldier.

A candle flickered in one of Kenshin's hands, and he set it down on the windowsill, sitting next to her. Was it that dark already? Apparently so, the candlelight made soft, subtle shadows around the room. They looked like men. Shaking her head, she cursed at herself. She was too on edge, she wouldn't be able to finish her mission like this.

Kaoru didn't turn to face him, only stared outside while she gathered the courage to speak, "D-Did.. Do you have the envelope?" She wanted to die at the simple question. It tasted bad on her tongue. It felt like.. Defeat..

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw movement, and she felt a piece of paper poke her upper-arm. When she looked down, she almost cried when she saw that inevitable object, a black envelope.

How could such a simple object hold her demise?

_My demise? I'm getting overdramatic about this._

She grabbed the envelope, hearing the soft crinkle as it folded ever so slightly with her touch, and opened it with only a slight hesitation. Blinking away the tears threatening to drip down her cheeks, she looked at the words on the parchment, written in excellent penmanship.

Hah! How ironic.

_Shigekura Jubei. Kill him, and all those who are with him._

Kaoru ducked her head forward to hide her eyes with her bangs. Her face was so numb she couldn't tell if she was crying or not. Her tongue tasted blood, and in that second she realized that, once again, she had bitten through her lip.

Her hands shook slightly as she felt emotions take over, anger and sadness at the forefront, and before she could rip up the paper, Kenshin took it away from her in a quick movement. Looking at him in shock, she watched as he scanned it, before holding it right above the flame of the candle, letting it burn about halfway before throwing it outside, where it continued to burn before sizzling to a stop.

A fitting end for an assassination order.

Kenshin stood up in one fluid motion, making Kaoru flinch in response. He grabbed for his katana, throwing one of his spares to her.

No, not one of his spares, this was hers now. Her katana. No longer was she part of the sword that protected, she was the part of the sword that attacked, slashed, and killed for the new age, where others could protect with their swords.

More irony. It made her heart hurt.

Speaking of hurting, her arm still ached slightly at the weight of the blade, and the constant training, but she caught it fluidly, her body jerking forward only a fraction of an inch. She rolled her shoulder wearily, reaching over to rub it in as good of a massage as she could give herself.

The silhouette of the redhead chuckled, walking up next to her to put his arm protectively over her shoulders, pulling her almost uncomfortably close to himself. He was warm.. He took a step forward, and soon they were right at the window. He tensed to make a leap, and she did the same.

A cool wind blew against Kaoru's face, and she sighed silently. A small feeling of exhilaration ran through her body, and for a second, she was ready for anything, but only for a second.

And then they jumped out into the night.

* * *

Kenshin sighed, running a hand through his red hair as once again. Kaoru clicked her tongue loud enough that it made an eerie echo along the streets. "Will you shut up?" he hissed. He wanted to kick himself as his own voice made the same eerie echo. Ugh.

She snorted behind him, and he rolled his eyes. He was trying to get this over with as quickly as possible, and here she was, dragging all of this out.

Or perhaps, procrastinating and postponing the inevitable.

"I'm bored," she mouthed back, crossing her arms. "Are we there yet?" she murmured, moving at a slow jog next to his side. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with adrenaline, but it couldn't hid the gleam of fear that shone as brightly at the moon.

Fear, and regret. Sadness so deep he felt as though his eyes were suddenly dry. He looked away.

One moment he was there, the next her wasn't. His arm suddenly grabbed her, gripping her wrist and pulling her into the shadows made by the buildings. His feet made no noise as they hit the ground, even though her own steps were ridiculously noisy.

This was ridiculous. Even though her heart was filled with regret, she still felt a feeling of jealousy that she couldn't match up with his stealth and speed. And perhaps, there was that feeling of disappointment.

Disappointment that he would never be surprised by her skill.

And anyway, since when had she been trying to impress him?

He stopped suddenly, and with a dull _thump_she ran into his back, still lost in her thoughts, and fell on her butt, blinking in confusion, "Wha..?"

_Oh, how embarrassing._

Amber eyes glared at her to be silent as he pointed around a corner. He held out his other hand to her, which she took, and pulled her up. She tried to avoid his gaze, hiding her pinkening cheeks. She didn't need him laughing at her when they got back.

One of his hands wrapped around her waist to keep her from going too far into their target's line of sight, but she saw them.

The unmistakable Mimawarigumi uniform, worn by three men, all engaged in light conversation. One of them held a small lamp, illuminating the streets. She heard the words _hitokiri _a few times.

They were talking about their own assassinations. She felt bile rise in her throat at their smugness after having done such a deed. Is that what she would turn out to be? Stunned by her thoughts, she was blind to the three men walking closer and closer.

The arm around her waist pulled her back into the alleyway and away from the light of the lamp as the three men passed them. The next few words she heard were out-of-place on the streets of Kyoto at night. And especially out-of-place after their words of murder.

"Now now, let's not talk shop when we've got reason to celebrate. Kiyosato, you're going to be married next month aren't you?" an older man murmured, chuckling as he patted the youngest of the three on the back. The man pitched forward in surprise and laughed.

In the light of the lantern, she could see the youngest one blush, "That's right.."

The third man spoke after a fit of boisterous laughter, "Marrying your beautiful childhood sweetheart, you lucky dog."

Their words faded as they took more and more steps away from them. One of her hands went over her heart, and she gasped softly.

_One of them is going to get married.._

Her frantic blue eyes looked back at the redhead behind her, but he only nodded, and, letting go of her waist, pushed her out into the street. She took a few stumbling steps, but managed to get her balance before she received a mouthful of dirt.

His ghostly, near-silent steps were making her paranoid. He was only a step behind her. To her surprise, he began to speak, and his haunting voice made her want to cry.

"You must be Shigekura Jubei."

All three men in the group turned around to look at them. Kaoru studied all three carefully, before looking down. The eyes of the youngest man there, the one getting married, were only a few years younger than her. They still twinkled with earlier happiness.

And she had to kill them. It was like taking two lives, or generations. Just this one man, she was causing thousands of deaths.

She could almost see his unborn children.. And grandchildren…

A tear ran down her cheek as she took a step forward, one hand on the hilt of her sword. The words she spoke next she knew by heart, they ran threw her head nonstop for the past week, and they shook ever so slightly in the night air.

"Although I bear you no grudge, for the sake of the new era, I must have your deaths," they were dreadful words, she hated them. Was this truly what the new era cost? The death of a happy young man, who had probably been waiting to marry this woman for his entire life?

All three men stiffened, and the bulkiest one of them all called out, "Who are you?"

It was a question she hadn't expected, and for a second, she forgot her own name. "I..I.. My name is.. K-Kamiya, Kaoru."

She heard Kenshin behind her smack his palm to his forehead.

She nearly slipped off his shoe and threw it at him. Jerk.

The man who had asked her name, as soon as he heard her answer, grabbed his sword and was about to start running forward, when her training took control of her body. It was automatic, and left no time for second guessing or regret.

She dodged whatever strike he was going for and her katana hit his neck before he was halfway through with a second swing. Warm, crimson blood sprayed from the wound to her mouth, and she nearly gagged. Shaking her head, trying to clear it, she went for the elderly man. There was a flat thrust into his heart, and he fell without much of a fight.

Her training had apparently been worth it. Her thoughts were lost as they drifted threw the irony of every movement she made.

Odd, this day was just full of irony.

She heard the youngest man call out their names in shock, and she turned without thinking, attacking mechanically. Not even the thoughts of his fiancée at home could stop her now.

Should she feel proud of herself? Or disgusted?

The only thing that broke her from her daze was the sharp _ching_ the blades made when they hit each other, and the terrified, but still alive, eyes that met hers. Her breath caught, and, in a split second, she felt her grip loosen, and soon she was propelled backwards, barely catching her footing before the man attacked again.

Kenshin growled from behind her, but he followed his earlier orders.

_Make her fight on her own._

She heard the man's battle cry as he made a strike, catching her upper arm. She cut back a scream as the blood began to spill from her. Without thinking, she hit his chest, and his eyes glazed over. His katana fell from his hands, cutting deep into her left cheek, from right below her temple, to her jaw line.

He fell like a dead weight, which, she guessed, he was.

"Ow.." Kaoru fell on her knees, one hand covering her wounded cheek, the other holding her left arm, which was bleeding profusely. Both stung enough to keep her thoughts off of the three bodies laying on the roads. At least, for a little while.

"Kaoru-dono!"

Kenshin came up to her, studying the wound on her cheek carefully by pulling her hand away. Her heard her hiss as one of the tears from her eyes stung the wound as it ran down her cheek. Sighing, he held her shoulders, pulling her up to her feet, and pulled her into an embrace of some sort. She squirmed, uncomfortable.

Her hands gripped his gi tightly as he ran his hand down her back, over and over again. It was soothing, and her body melded nicely against him, making a soft sigh of comfort, before it hitched.

He had to give her credit. Even though she was shaking like a leaf, he couldn't hear her sob.

Two men came from around the corner, studying the two teenagers carefully, "We came to check.."

The redhead nodded without thinking, grabbing Kaoru closer, "I'll leave the rest to you."

And with that, he pushed Kaoru half a foot away from him, and, holding her hand, pulled her back to the inn, while she leaned over, crying. She was losing control, her sobs were soft enough not to make echoes, but still loud enough to be audible.

They disappeared around a corner of a building.

The two men sighed, looking at the three bodies in the street, before shaking their heads. "Damn, you think Himura's gonna go for that girl there?"

"I hope so, he's been acting kinda," one of his fingers made small circles at his temple, and he gave a whistle, "Crazy, y'know. Women are a nice way to balance that out."

"Ha! Yeah, I guess so."

"But geez, he's kinda scary eh? Think the Kamiya girl might go," he whistled, "Crazy too?"

"Eh, she's kinda scary herself."

They both laughed boisterously again.

* * *

"Kaoru-dono, please don't cry," Kenshin repeated over and over again, now that they were back at the inn, inside of the bathhouse. Kaoru's hands were white as they clenched his gi, her chest shaking. Thank Kami she wasn't still holding his hand, it probably would've fallen off by now.

Rocking back and forth, he sighed, reaching out to grab a bucket of water he had prepared before they left. She would probably need more, he could get them later. First, he had to get her off of him.

"C'mon Kaoru-dono," he took a few awkward steps, with her shadowing every movement in front of him. Sighing, he took her wrists and ripped her hands from his gi, holding her at arms length away from him.

He tried to ignore her frantic, teary blue eyes as he touched his nose with hers, shaking her gently, "Damnit Kaoru! You can't do this every time you have a job. Woman up!"

Once again, he didn't expect the slap, and he only shook her harder in response. She made a weird noise, and she tried to squirm out of his grip.

"How old are you, Kaoru-dono?"

"Fourteen," she spat out, glaring daggers at him. He ignored her death glare.

"Grow up," he ordered, his face and eyes hardening back into a cold stare. He hated doing this, and the looks she was giving him was enough to make him want to apologize for every word he said. He was losing control of the situation.

His hands gripped her shoulders so hard she whimpered, and he finally let her go. His right hand was covered in blood and, in regret, he remembered the wound she had received right where he had grabbed her.

She collapsed on the ground, her face showing her shock. She looked at him as though he had just betrayed her.

He set the bucket of water right next to her shocked form, and was about to walk out of the bathhouse to get more when she called out after him.

"Kenshin.. How old are you..?"

He looked over his shoulder, surprised, "I.. Fourteen."

Her lips lifted just slightly as she tried to hold back a smile, "When will you turn fifteen?"

He thought for a second, before murmuring softly, "In about a week."

"Good. I didn't miss it."

He chuckled and pointed at a roll of cloth, "Patch up your shoulder Kaoru-dono, I'll get you some more water."

* * *

Water sloshed noisily against the wood as Kaoru washed her hands over and over. They were turning a bright pink color.. The water had already turned a bloody red, and, if anything, was only making her hands worse than before.

Her gi and hakama were in a separate bucket, soaking in water, but she knew for a fact that unless she started scrubbing, they would always have that rusty tint to them.

And she didn't have enough money to buy a new set, so letting them get stained was not on her agenda.

And geez, they would probably smell like copper for the rest of their lives.

There had to be ten buckets of water surrounding her as she undid the thong holding her hair into a ponytail, and took a bucket, pouring it over herself. It was chilled, and set her into a severe case of shivers, but she got over it, scrubbing the rest of her bare skin until all that was left of the blood was in transparent rivers on the wood floor. She could scrub them later.

She sighed, looking at her damp, black hair carefully, making sure it was as clean as she could get it without taking a bath, before throwing it over her shoulder. She took a small piece of cloth and ran it over all of her body but her left shoulder, which was waiting to be bandaged.

She reached out for the roll of bandages, grinding her teeth together as she carefully ran the roll around her upper arm, trying to muffle the small noises of pain her body made involuntarily. She was done, and the bandages were a little loose, but they could do for now.

Putting her hair back into a ponytail, the wet strands of hair tight against her scalp, she set to scrubbing her bloody clothes. If she was lucky, they would be clean enough to fold and she could get dressed in her yukata before any man came into the bathhouse, with her naked and covered in bloody water.

Ick.

Also, she could hear the soft breathing of her little redheaded guard-dog outside. No one was going to walk in on her. Or at least, not with a head.

Ew.. A man without a head coming to stare at her. Ick!

"Kaoru-dono, if you could hurry, it would be much appreciated," a sleepy voice murmured from just outside the door, and she through one of her sandals in that direction.

"Don't rush me, girly-man!"

There was a mumbled sentence that sounded a lot like an _I'm not girly _but Kaoru ignored it, reaching over to her soggy clothes, taking them out of their old bucket and into a new one, which they stained the water in an instant, turning it a light pink. Taking a washboard, she slid it into the changing water and began to scrub, growling to the fabric.

Being angry always made her scrub better.

When she was convinced the fabric wasn't stained, she plopped the soggy ball of cloth into a third bucket, where the water stayed mostly clear. Standing up, she grabbed a mop, mopping up what was left of the water on the floor, and what she was patient enough to try and clean, and reached for her yukata, tying the simple knot of her sleeping obi behind her back.

Easy stuff.

Stifling a yawn, she looked around. There were still a few buckets waiting to be dumped, but by all means, she was just too tired to that stuff now.

Her cheek stung when she tried to smile when she saw Kenshin still waiting on the other side of the door. Violet eyes looked her over carefully, and he grimaced when he saw the cut on her cheek. It bled slightly, but had mostly scabbed up.

He pointed to it, "Let's get that bandaged up."

"Really Kenshin, it's going to bleed for a little bit anyway, I'll look weird with a bandage over my face."

"You look weird with that cut anyway."

"Bite me!" Kaoru retorted, crossing her arms defensively. In the back of her head though, she really didn't want to be seen with a large gash on her cheek. She'd look like a man! Hell, even Kenshin looked more womanly than she did.

Ha! Maybe _he_ needed a cut on _his_ cheek. Man him up a bit.

While lost in thought, she didn't notice how Kenshin reached out to grab her elbow until she was pulled up to him. His chest pressed into hers, pushing her back until her head fell back. For a second, she was caught in the position, and her breathing stopped.

Teeth brushed against the skin of her neck, eliciting goose bumps on her arms. Her heart was pounding so fast she was sure that he could hear it.

And, on another note, she wasn't sure she'd be able to breathe again.

"A..Ah.. K-Kenshin..? What are you..?"

Suddenly she was standing up on her own two feet again, sparkling amber eyes looking at her flushing face in amusement.

"I bit you."

* * *

Kaoru was still fuming by the time they got to their room, the only reason she wasn't yelling or stomping the whole way there was because the snores of the other soldiers were deafening, and it would've defeated the purpose if Kenshin couldn't hear her rage.

And thus, when the sliding door closed behind her, a quick hand snapped up at his red ponytail and tugged.

Or more like pulled.

And she pulled hard.

A strangled cry from the assassin, and he fell down on his back without a second's hesitation. Her grip on his hair relaxed in shock at the reaction, and teary violet eyes glared at her from the ground. One hand wiped at his eyes, and he jumped up on his feet, his face filled with fury while he began to set up her futon.

There was one giggle, and then another. Soon she was holding one hand over her mouth, one arm around her waist as she burst into a fit of laughter. "Wow Kenshin, that was priceless."

"Shut up Kaoru," he grumbled back, rubbing the back of his hair, sitting by his pile of book, his head down, not looking up even when she continued to laugh and slipped under the blankets on her futon.

Somehow, in the back of his head, he could hear his sensei laughing at him.

The jerk..

And thus, with that thought, he decided not to look at her for the rest of the night. Or week, whichever was best.

Kenshin did, however, look up in surprise about two hours later, to a screaming Kaoru, her face covered in tears, her eyes terrified. Men from the other room were yelling out obscenities as Kenshin ran to her, holding her shoulders in shock as her wet, blue eyes looked at him in shock. She made a noise of pain as, once again, he gripped her left arm harder than he should have.

He loosened his grip quickly, waiting for her to say something.

"K-Kenshin?" she mumbled out in shock, her shoulders shaking under his hands, "O-oh.. It was a.. dream.."

She burst out into sobs, loud enough to cause more obscenities from the men in the other rooms. A voice in the back of his head warned him that if he didn't shut her up, some of the other Ishin Shishi would come in and do the job for him.

He couldn't bear to see them do those horrible things to her.

"Shh, Kaoru, shh, shut up! Why are you crying?"

She only buried her face into his chest, shaking like a leaf as she got over her bit of hysteric crying. When she finally withdrew from him, she looked shocked and confused. He nearly slapped her, this was getting frustrating.

He glared at her for a second, before he put a hand on the top of her head and ruffled her hair, "What's wrong Kaoru-dono? You can't be acting like this…"

"I.. I had a nightmare. I'm sorry. It.. It happened last time I killed.."

He felt bad for what he was doing to her, but he tried desperately not to let it bother him too much, despite the nagging voice on the edge of his brain.

It sounded a lot like Hiko-sensei… Again..

"Kaoru-dono, this is for the best. This is for the new era. It's alright.."

She sniffled and pressed her face against his chest, whimpering and crying softly. She wouldn't cry tomorrow, or the next day, and probably not for the rest of the time she would be there, but for today.. Well..

_I promise Kenshin, I'll never cry again. Just let me cry tonight._

Kenshin ran his hand up and down her back until she calmed down. Her body completely relaxed, and, from what he could tell, she had fallen asleep.

He sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his head back. He scootched backwards enough that his back was against the wall, deep in thought. He didn't remember the breakdown she had gone through. In fact, he barely remembered his first assassination at all. It hadn't made a difference to him, he was doing it for the new era.

Of course, the time Kaoru had walked in on him scrubbing his hands, it had already been a year. He'd had time to deteriorate.

At least he didn't cry…

He looked down at the sleeping young woman, the bandage on her cheek which she had sustained, and felt a surge of pity. He couldn't make her do this again, it was cruel..

But she would die if she didn't do her job, Katsura had spies everywhere. And so, resting his head once again against the wall, he sighed.

Was there truly nothing he could do?

* * *

A/N- How was it? Read and Review! Oh, and yes, the third man Kaoru killed was Akira, Tomoe's earlier fiancee.

Mmm... Plot twists...


	6. ATime to Drink

**This is quite a long chapter, and is more of a buffer and fluff chapter, except for at the very end. Enjoy, and make sure to review when you finish! I won't update until I get enough reviews to be satisfied.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own anything.**

* * *

Nearly a month had passed since Kaoru's first job, and since then, she hadn't cried, not a single teardrop. If he were to admit it, Kenshin felt like he was walking on eggshells every time they returned to the bathhouse to clean up, but, as though following a secret promise, her eyes never did much more than lose their spark for a few hours, before she was skipping around, begging to spar.

And, despite her occasional moments of depression, she was becoming increasingly good at sparring. Her jobs were made a lot quicker, and cleaner. Every now and then, she would wake up before he did, and he would catch her practicing what she could figure out of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. She was still mediocre compared to him, but it had only been a month..

It was becoming increasingly odd. Her actions weren't the same as they used to be, or even what he'd been expecting. He'd been expecting deep depression, and all he got was a cheerful, and perhaps even bubblier teenage girl.

So now, after they cleaned up from a job, he'd take her to the small tavern maybe a mile away from where they were staying, just so they could blend into the crowd for a few hours, simply enjoying each other's company, and the small pocket of time where they could pretend there wasn't a war. He watched as she gracefully walked into the tavern, always wanting a bottle of warm sake and drinking until her cheeks flushed into a lovely pink color.

Kaoru pulled the slightly-tattered sleeve of her kimono back, taking the bottle of sake and filling up Kenshin's cup, her cheeks beginning to take on a drunken-flush as she giggled. He motioned for her to give the bottle to him, before he filled hers, setting it down on the middle of the table. Kaoru leaned forward, a playful grin on her face. He could smell the faint tint of sake on her breath as she leaned in, whispering in his ear.

"Okay, the next time that one girl giggles and places her hand on one of the men's arms, we drink," Kaoru murmured, breaking out into giggles and leaning back to her spot, as though it were a joke he wasn't aware of. Kenshin raised a red eyebrow, his grin mimicking hers, although for a much different reason.

_You need to learn how to hold your liquor Kaoru-dono._

There was maybe a five second pause before the two teenagers took a drink, laughing along with the silly girl giggling three table away from them. Kaoru once again poured their cups, smiling demurely at him before she began to drink the sake, sipping slowly.

Apparently, because she was no longer downing it like earlier, she paused after her first sip, setting the cup on the table, blinking as she looked down at her reflection in the rice wine.

"It… Tastes like blood."

Shivers ran up his spine at her words, setting down his cup and looking at her, his vision slightly blurred in his own inebriation. Was she truly already tasting the blood he had begun to taste with all his food and drink after only a month? Was her soul truly that tainted already? Impossible.

When one's drunk, one begins to do things one wouldn't do other wise, and the young Battousai was no exception. He leaned across the table to the blue-eyed and very confused girl, and, without so much as a thought towards the action, dipped his head down so his own lips were brushing against hers, the sake still on her mouth transferring onto his own.

When he went back to his previous spot, Kaoru watched in shock as his tongue licked his lips, his violet eyes swirling to gold.

"I think it tastes sweet."

He watched in amusement as her cheeks flushed darker than before, and she coughed and covered her mouth with her hand, blinking several dozen times. Whatever she was trying to say, or retort in that case, came out in stutters before she gave up on that completely, simply shaking her head back and forth in disbelief.

She blushed deeper when he laughed heartily, a silly smile stretching across his face, pleased that he had taken her mind off the bloody taste of their drinks. There was a feeling in his stomach that was slightly uncomfortable, teenage hormones starting to kick up a notch.

Immediately uncomfortable, he drank his sake and poured another, drinking that nearly as fast. Soon, she joined in, and they continued to drink until her giggles started to be her only responses. The young Battousai was starting to truly feel the effects of every drink he had been downing, and gently began refusing whenever his companion tried to fill his cup again. There was an odd buzzing in his head, and he was sure that if he stood up he'd fall over.

Maybe a few minutes after he stopped drinking, she had stopped drinking as well, and, as the second hour passed, both of them munching on small bowls of rice, he watched as her eyes began to become more aware of what was around her, her conversation became less giddy and her voice only slurred when she tried to talk fast.

People were starting to filter out of the inn, paying their tabs and what-not, when Kenshin decided they were both sober enough to go. His senses still felt dull, and he could still hear the buzz in his head that was warning him of the headache he would have in the morning. A small smirk began to play on his lips as he thought of her effects on him, he truly wasn't the man he had been two months earlier.

For example, had he ever come back to the inn drunk before she showed up?

The innkeeper held her frustrations in, even though he knew she disapproved of their activities like a grandmother. However, just like a grandmother, she was kind enough to draw the blinds in their room while they were sleeping, so as not to aggravate their hangovers when the happy-morning sun came over the horizon, and when they always woke up to find a bucket of water and two cups, so that they could get hydrated.

Those were truly the only times the young redhead ever considered giving the elderly woman a hug. He gave into the feeling more than he resisted it, much to Kaoru's pleasure.

"_It makes you look like a grandson who just received a present," Kaoru said when Kenshin returned to his room. The only answer she received was a bright smile, and sparkling violet eyes. The giggles from the innkeeper could still be heard from the hallway._

He had decided long ago that these changes were for the better.

"Kaoru-dono, let's go home, shall we?"

"That'd be nice," Kaoru chirped, her blue eyes bright despite the late hour. They both stood up, and he saw her hand automatically shift to the sleeve pocket of her robe, making sure the dagger in there didn't fall out and onto the floor, before it returned to her side.

He had always insisted she bring a weapon with her, no matter where they went. The men on the streets of Kyoto were becoming restless, and had a habit of either attacking and murdering without reason, or raping women they saw walking down the streets alone at night.

Hell, he even felt leering looks as he walked down the streets in the afternoon. Since then, he had taken to having his gi more open than usual, to show off his flat chest and gender. The looks had decreased, but not disappeared, a constant blow to his ego. Was he truly that girly looking?

As they left the tavern, there was a sudden rush of cold air. It was the kind of wind that immediately sank through your clothes like nothing, leaving you feel as though wearing clothes was useless anyway. Immediately, because of their dropped body temperatures from drinking, Kaoru and Kenshin were sent into shivers, and their steps went down on a much quicker pace than usual, eager to get back to the warm inn.

Maybe it was because he was still slightly tipsy, or maybe his ears were numb because of the cold, but it came to a shock to him when he became aware of Kaoru's footsteps not following him, and a leery voice that seemed to be half done with its sentence.

"Looking for a good time girly? I'll satisfy you more than carrot-top will ever be able to."

With only a half thought running through his mind, questioning why he hadn't heard the man coming, Kenshin turned to see Kaoru being tugged by the wrist into a shadowed alleyway, her feet stumbling over each other as she made small protests, trying to get the dagger in her sleeve.

"Kenshin!"

The _last_ thing the would-be rapist heard was the ominous ringing sound of a katana being unsheathed before his head was flung to the other side of the street.

The _first_ thing Kenshin heard as the crimson blood began to rain down on the streets was Kaoru soft gasp, and he turned to look at her suddenly-sober, frightened, ocean-colored eyes before her arms wrapped around his waist, her forehead pressed against his chest, her shoulders hunched.

Altogether, she looked like a scared little girl. But she was strong, he knew she would get over it and calm down. And then they would go back to the inn, change out of their blood-spattered clothes, clean in the bathhouse and fall asleep.

And that's when his light golden eyes met up with soft brown, doe-like ones.

* * *

She was almost ethereally beautiful, with pale skin interrupted by red speckles. Her dark brown hair was held into a low ponytail, and it stood out as though it were black against her white kimono, also speckled with blood, the same color of the sash draped along her arms.

Her eyes didn't seem frightened, but resigned, as though she expected her own blood to run down his katana. Her melancholy voice rang out across the night, and Kenshin had the sinking feeling that the words would never be forgotten.

"I thought they had been joking, when they said it, but they were telling the truth.. You are the one that makes it rain blood."

Tomoe was in an odd predicament. She thought she'd have a few days before she'd have to face the Battousai, but he'd found her before she'd have the time to hide. She'd been watched the two come to the tavern occasionally, engaged in drunken conversation, flirting with each other so loosely and often that she'd first thought the girl was a prostitute.

She'd decided to follow the two, seeing as they were usually too drunk to notice her presence. And, even if they did, she always had enough time to duck behind something before the girl had complained she wanted to sleep.

And, she watched with almost fondness as the redhead always relented, letting the blue-eyed girl lean against him as he possessively draped an arm over her shoulder. Which, she thought with annoyance, was something he decided _not _to do tonight, which then caused the now-dead man to have confidence to attack his teenager companion, which now caused her to be seen.

Speaking of his companion, she watched as blue eyes brightened when she was in his arms, and how she had lifted on her toes to place a chaste kiss on the redhead's cheek, in thanks perhaps, before she turned her gaze to look at Tomoe in confusion.

Because of the fact her azure gaze left the redhead to look into the soft-brown eyes of the woman standing twenty feet away from them, Kaoru missed the dark flush of the redhead she was currently in an embrace with. The redheaded teenager's eyes widened fractionally as soon as the blue-eyed girl's lips had brushed against his cheek, making his face the same color as his hair.

His flush was something that Tomoe observed with amusement. And so, with the happiness she saw in the teenage girls gaze, her old anger crumbled, and she lost the desire to follow through with the young Battousai's death. Her own happiness had been taken, but she saw it reflected in the young girl's gaze who was looking at her, a soft smile still gracing her lips.

And so, she did the only thing she could do.

She turned and ran, leaving the two teenagers behind her, running as fast as her kimono could allow, her sash forgotten as she shed it to move her arms in an attempt to push her further.

It would be easy to disappear from Kyoto and back to her home in the village. Only a few people had seen her, and she could always be easily forgotten. This silly mission would be forgotten. She would find a new husband, start her new life under a new name, taking Enishi with her so that they would never be found.

Caught in her plans of escape, she was oblivious to the man in the alley until he grabbed her, covering her mouth. Thrashing wildly, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the hand on her mouth relented and let go, "Oh.. Kami.."

* * *

Kaoru shifted her weight as she hugged Kenshin tighter, trying desperately to relieve him of his tense stance, "Kenshin, some on, let's get you back to inn," she murmured, referring to the blood that covered both of their clothes and hair. His own arms around her waist tightened, pressing her against his chest for a few more seconds. Her eyelids fluttered, leaving butterfly kisses as they brushed against his skin. The woodsy smell of sandalwood was overwhelming, making her knees shake.

She was able to shift her body enough to look up at him, and behind the curtain of red bangs she saw his tense jaw line and his cold, yet still fiery eyes. They burned with anger, as though killing the man who attacked her wasn't enough to sate him.

"Kenshin.."

Suddenly his tense stance loosened, although the strength of his embrace to her relaxed only fractionally.

"Yeah, let's go."

He jerked as he turned on his heels, twirling her with him, looking much like a jealous Hades with Persephone.

Unbeknownst to Kaoru, who was trying to keep from falling as he moved quicker than she ever could, when the man had attacked her, it had been like eating a food of the underworld.

She was his.

And somehow, even if she had known this, she wouldn't have cared, as long as Kenshin was the one who she belonged to.

* * *

The pair of teenagers were now in their yukatas, Kaoru's hair let down so it reached about midway down her back, giving her the look of seventeen, instead of her only fourteen years. It was heavy with water, and laid flat against her back, the liquid soaking through the thin cloth and making her back damp. She had just combed through it, and was going through it with her fingers to help it dry quicker, before she would inevitably braid it to go over her shoulder while she slept.

Kenshin smiled at her as he continued to scrub their clothes, before hanging them up on the clothesline behind then inn. He'd get them down in the morning before anyone awoke. No one except Katsura needed to know about the unnecessary, yet still necessary, murder of the man who had dared laid a hand on his friend.

It felt nice to finally use the word friend, something he hadn't used in such a long time. He wondered if he would've ever said it again had Kaoru not come along. Yet, somehow, it felt wrong to say or introduce her to anyone as a friend. It felt wrong on his tongue.

If she wasn't a friend, then what was she? Certainly not an enemy..

She sat down on the edge of the porch facing the backyard, beckoning him to her. She patted the spot next to her, silently asking him to sit down, which he did. As soon as his seat hit the porch, she was up and kneeling behind him, humming.

"Kaoru-dono, what are you doing?"

"Combing your hair, so that it doesn't tangle."

He was about to protest, but already her hands were running through his red mane, detangling the smaller knots with only a moments hesitation. His eyelids drooped and he began to lean back against her body, sighing in contentment. She smiled, kissing the top of his head softly, giggling as he made another sigh.

She pushed his shoulders forward and his body followed. Running her hands through his hair one last time, she began to comb through the crimson locks, starting at the very ends and slowly working her way up to his scalp, until his hair shone in the soft light of the moon and stars like red silk.

Halfway through combing his hair he began to mutter, and she sighed, hugging him from behind before continuing to comb, letting him rant and vent out. Really, her own eyelids were starting to droop with the repetitive movements, and the low tones of his words was like a lullaby.

Kenshin was angry, but it was fading fast, until only his lips were moving as he began to slump forward again. There was a yawn from the young woman behind him, which he echoed, and he heard her drowsy voice mumble something that sounded a lot like, "I wanna go to bed.."

He began to stand up, nearly staggering forward enough to get a face-full of the backyard. She giggled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"Mmm.."

She stumbled off in the direction of their room as he followed after her, already feeling the snores he wanted to make making its way to his throat. His eyes were half closed by the time he made his way to the windowsill. Seeing her snuggle into the futon suddenly ignited his anger from earlier, and he became tense, glaring outside.

Kaoru wanted to sleep so badly, wanted desperately to ignore the angry redhead at the window, and failed. Soon, she was crawling out of her warm futon, crawling over in a way that resembled a bear to the window. She rested her back against the wall, her head tipping back so that it rested in his lap. She looked up at him, a sleepy smile still playing on her lips.

His glare lessened until it was nothing but a soft gaze as her eyes drifted closed and she began to snore softly. His hands ran through her hair, much like she had done to him earlier. He noted how her hair was like silk right before he began to doze off.

He didn't dream about blood that night.

* * *

Kaoru groaned as she rolled her neck, hearing it crack before sighing gratefully. The back of her neck still ached from the position she had fallen asleep in, but at least her hangover was only a small ache in the middle of her forehead, thanks to the breakfast the innkeeper had given her. Her blue eyes glittered in the morning sun as she looked at the sleeping redhead. She had regretted pulling off the coverings of the windows, afraid it would give the redhead a headache, but she'd needed the light to sew, and it seemed as though Kenshin was sleeping the aftereffects of the alcohol off.

Caught in her thoughts, she'd forgotten she was halfway through a stitch until the needle decided to imbed itself into her index finger. She swore and took the bleeding digit into her mouth, sucking on it lightly. By the time she pulled it out, the skin of her fingertip slightly wrinkled, she realized with excitement that she had just finished her kimono, and laid it out, squeaking in excitement.

The squeaks of joy was what woke Kenshin up, and he cracked one eyes open, a smile beginning to spread across his features. He watched as her face scrunched up in a sudden disappointment, hearing her mutter, "Mou, I need an obi to match.."

He sat up straighter, rolling his shoulders as he looked at her work. The seams were ever so slightly off, but no one would ever know when she was wearing it. Her blue eyes looked up to smile at him right before her lips did, until he felt like the sun was in their room, not outside shining against the backyard. He looked out to see their clothes weren't on the clothesline, and, he was sure, they were folded and in the closet.

"Good morning sleepy-head," she teased, giggling at something. He rubbed his cheek unconsciously before rubbing his eyes and yawning softly. Her giggles became louder, something he didn't quite understand.

"What time is it?" he murmured, crossing his arms over his chest.

"About ten-thirty," she hummed softly, smiling sweetly. She bit the inside of her cheek as he jerked up before groaning and going back down when his headache decided to make its presence known. "You need to learn how to hold your liquor Himura-san," she teased.

He gave her a withering smile before standing up. He needed to tell Katsura about what he had done last night, to make sure everything was covered up nicely. As he walked out the door, he missed Kaoru's eyes widen, and her cover her mouth in surprise. Her tinted red mouth.

_Kaoru woke up, having just gone through the previous night in one of her dreams. One of the main thing she remembered was the kiss Kenshin had given her, when she'd mentioned the sake tasted like blood._

_The two kisses, one on the top of his head and one on his cheek, that she had given him weren't enough. No, she wanted people to know she had gotten her revenge for the surprise kiss. _

_Her mother had given her a makeup set before she died, the only thing she had salvaged before she went to Kyoto. If she was correct, she had brought it with her.._

_After rummaging around in the closet, she pulled out a small container of lip coloring, half gone from when she played dress-up as a little girl. Taking a small brush she put it heavily on her lips, enough in excess that, perhaps, if she were to press her lips against something, it would leave a very obvious, very noticeable lip-print._

And so, Kaoru doubled over in laughter as Kenshin marched out of their room, intent on talking to Katsura, with a very large, very noticeable lip-print on his left cheek.

She didn't warn him, he would find out soon enough.

Kenshin sighed, rubbing at his cheek and pulling his hand away, pleased that there was no longer red coming off. Walking down the halls of the inn, he'd found that the Ishin Shishi had been doubled over in laughter, although only Katsura had been kind enough to point out that prank Kaoru had done.

But back to the previous topic, Katsura had only nodded thoughtfully, saying that the victim would be covered up as well as possible. Everything was resolved quickly, and soon, Kenshin was back in their room, watching as Kaoru pondered over whether to embroider the her new yellow kimono, dye it, or simply leave it as it was.

She looked up and smiled mischievously at him, causing him to rub his cheek again, giving a playful wink, "Got'cha."

He sat down next to her, laughing as she giggled. He ran his hand along the kimono, pausing to rub the smooth fabric together. It was.. Silk.

"Where did you get the money for this, Kaoru-dono?"

"The innkeeper.." Kaoru paused, not continuing her sentence, suddenly falling silent. She was only fourteen, but, according to the innkeeper, she wouldn't be growing much more, and she should begin sewing her wedding kimono now.. Acting like the grandmotherly figure Kaoru was beginning to see her as, she had given her fabric to practice, seeing as it was traditional for the wife to sew her own wedding kimono.

It was a shame, that the nice fabric had been used only as practice, but she was glad the innkeeper had given her the opportunity to, silk was more difficult to sew than her usual cotton. Yellow was nice for a winter kimono, but she'd wanted her own dress to be blue, enough so that it would match her eyes. "The innkeeper wanted me to be warm this winter, so she gave me this so I could be warm. She's really busy, so she couldn't do it herself."

Kenshin nodded thoughtfully, lost in his own thoughts, as he pondered over whether to get her a new kimono himself. Most of her clothes were tattered and thin, something that might work for a girl, but.. She would be fifteen soon, and, seeing as she was as skilled in the sword as any other samurai, she would be.. A woman.

He would test her, and then he would give her the gift. Of course she would pass any test he would be able to give her, except, maybe a cooking test. His lips pulled up in the corners, as he thought back to his own fifteenth birthday, and the way she had celebrated his Genpuku.

_He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, a splitting headache being the only thing he could comprehend. Kaoru had challenged him to quite a few drinking games the night before, and, somehow, the odds always turned up in her favor, leading her to have to carry him home._

_It must've been embarrassing, but he had the vague idea that he'd been singing the entire time home and had promptly passed out by the time Kaoru arrived at the inn._

_And so, for the first time in a while, he woke up in a futon. Apparently, Kaoru had decided to be cruel, and had uncovered the windows, letting the oh-so bright morning sun shine directly on his face._

"_Kenshiiiiin!"_

"_Lemme alone.."_

"_Kenshiiiiin! It's time to traiiiin!"_

_Why was she so loud? Rolling over, he tried to hide under the blanket before she got to the room._

_No such luck._

_He vaguely took notice that he was being dressed, along with her grabbing his hand and dragging him to the backyard. Something he also vaguely took note of._

_He was being attacked._

_He barely raised his sword to ward off whomever was attacking. All he could she was deep blue eyes, and midnight black hair._

_Training kicked in, and he was on the offensive. His head felt like it was being torn apart, and he tried his best not to think. His body moved as fluidly as it could with a hangover, but whoever it was seemed to know all his moves. Next thing he knew, something hard hit his chest, and he was on his butt, looking up in confusion at his opponent._

_Kaoru smiled down at him, sheathing her sword and winking. Her hand went down to help him up, something which he gladly took._

"_I'm sorry I made you drink so much, but it was the only way I knew to see if you were truly ready to become a man," she murmured cryptically. "Happy Genpuku, Himura-sama."_

_She took a few steps back, and gave a formal bow, before standing up and winking, "That's the only time I'll ever refer to you as '-sama,' so don't get used to it."_

_Something in his chest swelled as he realized what day it was. His fifteenth birthday.. He was a man._

"Kenshin," Kaoru spoke, breaking through his flashback, "Do you think the innkeeper will give me enough money to buy some more fabric? For an obi?"

"I'm sure she would."

She smiled sweetly, and gave him a hug, "The streets are calming down, do you think that, before any fighting breaks out, we could go to the carts, and buy some silk?" She felt giddy, wanting to feel the smooth fabric against her skin.

"Mmhmm, I wouldn't mind.. It's probably the last nice day we'll be having for a while." He was referring to the rapidly cooling temperatures outside, but Kaoru had the sinking feeling that they would mean more than that.

Kenshin sighed as he watched his companion squeak and jump in delight, having apparently found the fabric that would work with her new project. She was drawing a bit too much attention to both of them, but no one said or did anything but stare at her cheek, which still had the bandage on it, protecting the developing scar from any questioning eyes.

"Kenshin! Ee! Kenshin I found it! Oh, it's just right! It'll work so well!" Kaoru squeaked and jumped again, this time turning so as to look at the young Battousai. She didn't find him. In shock, she finally saw him behind another stall, his amber eyes yelling at her to be quiet and to act normal.

She bit down hard on her lip to stop any protests, and motioned to the cart-merchant that she wished to buy the cloth. Around the same time, the air felt abnormally humid, as three men walked up to either side of her, wishing to buy some light blue cotton.

"Man, these Ishin Shishi are really staring to pile up," one of the men murmured, "There has to be some way we can take them down a notch."

"Yeah," said the second, "We only have to take down those two hitokiri though, that's their only advantage. And how are we going to do that? Apparently, Battousai has a partner."

"A partner for the Hitokiri Battousai? Why the hell would he need one?" The third interjected.

"I dunno. He must be pretty good though, we're losing men at twice the rate that we used to."

Kaoru flushed pink at the unintentional praise. The three men didn't notice the change in her skin tone, only taking the bundles of cloth and starting to walk away.

"But, y'know, at least we know about the-"

The three men disappeared in the crowd, cutting off whatever the one man was about to say. Suddenly the severity of the situation came out at her, and her body felt cold. Frantic blue eyes met with Kenshin's golden ones, and the sickening feeling, as though Kaoru was about to throw-up overtook her.

They never left witnesses alive.

_How did they know about me?_

So caught in that confusion, Kaoru didn't even dwell on their cut-off sentence.

* * *

**A/N - I actually wrote an outline for this entire chapter, and I might scan it, so as to show you guys the illustrations/doodles I made for the entire chapter. I'm quite proud of them, lol!**

**Please read and review, I won't update until I'm satisfied.**


	7. Soldiers

Eh-heh. Hey guys. Remember when I last updated this fic?

Over a year ago?

Heh, sorry. You might notice that this chapter is much more serious. I think this is because I've matured much more in-person, and writing something like the chapters before seemed to easy of a challenge. So here is the long, LONG awaited seventh chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for this wicked laptop with allowed me to type for about 3 hours straight because I had an inexplicable desire to finish this story.

* * *

The walk back to the inn was tense. The air between the two adolescents almost sparked with nervous electricity. The crunch on the dirt road was muted, as they were both walking lightly.

The dry air was uncomfortable as both of them swallowed.

Questions ran through their heads too quickly to be fully comprehended. Perhaps it was for the better. No answers came for them.

The sun of the day still shone overhead, and night wasn't for another few hours. However, neither of them could supress their anxiousness to get back home, nor the paranoid glances over their shoulders they made when a person followed them for too long.

The incident with the Shishin-gumi had been too much for both of them. The frail innocence they held for the rest of the world had faded so quickly because of the man's words.

_How did they know?_

Both of them felt the dark, compressing feeling of the world around them. It seemed that they're night jobs could no longer be avoided by going on a walk on a sunny day.

They weren't safe anymore.

By the grace of God, they both managed to make it to the inn with no incident. Kaoru tugged absentmindedly at the bandage over the cut on her cheek. It wasn't healing right, and was constantly reopening.

She would awaken maybe two or three times a day, a stinging feeling on her cheek too terrible for words.

The physical pain wasn't nearly as terrible as it could've been. But coupled with the constant flashbacks of the young, engaged man holding up his sword in fear, his dark eyes begging for another chance.

She grimaced and turned her head to the side. The bleeding cut on her cheek burned with the same intensity as the ones on her back. She lacked a mirror in which to see the scarred flesh on her back, and figured it was for the best.

She had hoped she turned quick enough for Kenshin not to notice the pained look on her features.

He was too quick for her.

Holding her wrist gently in his calloused hand, he turned her to face him.

Her blue eyes were far too dark.

His violet were much too hardened.

The two of them simply looked over each other. The weight of the war rested on their shoulders, and it made them sag. Black circles were a constant reminder of nightmares they couldn't avoid.

They were battle weary, and looking at one another was like looking into a mirror of their emotional state.

While the first few kills had been a constant tearing on Kaoru's soul, the simplicity of taking a life, along with the mechanical way her sword sliced through the air had hardened her in a way that should only come from decades of hardship.

Kenshin had started to change in the same way as he saw her. The emotional destruction feelings they had usually lasted only a few hours, and usually only after an assassination.

Perhaps it was simply the loss of their limited freedom of going out and shopping. The only thing that kept them young was now taken away, because the enemy suddenly knew that they existed.

Looking at the reflections of themselves in each other's eyes, they looked resigned.

No longer like teenagers, but like soldiers.

* * *

The shadows of the day lengthened until the sun sank below the horizon, making a plethora of colors in the clouds. Birds flew through the sky lazily, and there were a few crunches on the grass as little rodents ran around, finding some seeds before the birds caught sight of them.

Kaoru sighed wistfully, letting a smile grace her lips as the deep red of the setting sun reminded her of Kenshin's hair. Red, intense, and soft..

She'd taken to brushing it after every mission, loving the feeling of the silken tresses as they ran through her fingers. It felt so incredibly intimate, and it was the one thing in her schedule that she couldn't skip.

Kenshin had asked her several times if he could return the favor, although she always declined.

She knew that the brushing of his hair made his breath quicken, made his cheeks flush a light pink, and his heart pound. Kenshin had such a good control of himself, something she was never able to attain.

If he were to do the same thing to her, she was sure she'd faint.

In fact, just thinking about him touching her hair made her cheeks flush the same hue as the sunset.

Kenshin had been talking to Katsura when she'd walked by, mopping the floor of the inn. It was a chore she was not inclined to anymore, seeing as the Ishin Shishi now paid her rent, along with the occasional bit of spending money.

She noticed Kenshin received no spending money, and found it off until she noted the change of attitude around her.

The samurai had become quite fond of her, for reasons she did not know. If she were to ask, they'd probably mention that she was making the Battousai much more gentle, understanding, and less of a recluse. However, she was never able to bring up the courage to question their kindness.

But anyway.

She was taking full advantage of the fact that Kenshin had decided now was his time to talk to the leader about the conversation they'd heard at the cloth vendor. Dark, blue silk ran against her hands as she laid it out before her, along with an old, crinkled sewing pattern.

"_How old are you, Kaoru-chan?" The old innkeeper was graceful in her poise and smile. It was a sort of envious trait that Kaoru noticed all prim and proper women held. Especially when it looked as though they were trying to get something._

_It made the young teen very wary at the crinkled piece of paper and elegant cloth in her arms._

"_I.. I'm fourteen," she answered back, unsure of her answer for reasons she had no explanation for._

_Instead of saying anything, the innkeeper placed her pile of materials and patterns into Kaoru's arms. _

"_Practice makes perfect, my dear. I'll teach you about flower arrangements tomorrow. You're kimono looks very nice, by the way. Just remember to check your seams."_

Fully expecting perhaps, a furisode pattern now that she was approaching courting age, Kaoru had instead opened the pattern to find patterns on how to make a set of wedding clothes.

For men.

Along with Kenshin's measurements.

To say that Kaoru had simply blushed would be an understatement. The temperature of the room went up a few degrees as her cheeks heated. She didn't dare practice when Kenshin was around, or even asleep. She'd be far too mortified of him waking up.

But now that he would be subdued, perhaps for a few hours, she was free to act like a girl, instead of an assassin.

Sewing was mind numbingly relaxing for Kaoru, much like a kata. The sight of the needle making elegant, small stitches into cloth that was so beautiful it brought her to shame, was almost tear jerking.

It was the one feminine thing she had received from her mother. The stitches were perfect to the point of impossibility, and Kaoru flashed back to memories of practicing for hours in order to please her mom.

Once her mother had died, Kaoru had been repressing all femininity, instead indulging in an almost fake, masculine side. But when the grandmother-like innkeeper had approached her with the aspects of preparing for marriage, Kaoru was stunned at how ignorant she, herself, was.

Things like sewing wedding clothes seemed like such a far away thing, but the idea made Kaoru feel suddenly old. And a sick feeling rose in the back of her throat.

She would be taken away from Kenshin.

In a way she couldn't explain to herself, this was wholly unacceptable. This was the man who had trained her, had held her, had comforted her. He could make her feel better with just a warm gaze from his violet eyes, and a gentle smile on his soft lips..

His lips..

Kaoru absent mindedly touched her lips with her fingers, the tips dragging against the pink flesh. The innkeeper had mentioned something about these types of urges. An inexplicable feeling to be closer to someone.

For someone you wanted to marry.

Marry.. Kenshin?

_I'm too young to be thinking about such things._

Shaking her head, Kaoru once again focused on the deep, blue silk. It was so dark it almost shone black, and reminded her of her own hair. She mused over the prospect of drinking sake with a red haired young man, him wearing the beautiful gi she planned on making the silk become.

And how, sitting next to him, they would look like a young married couple.

And married couples did far more than kiss.

Shaking her head and dislodging all the hormonal thoughts flooding her brain, she scolded herself until she turned a bright, bright pink.

* * *

"Did you know these men?" Katsura asked darkly. He was deeply troubled by the news the Battousai had brought him, and his look of misery was reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

He had been so careful with his assassinations. He had assumed that word of the Battousai had gotten around because of the young man's youth, and he was bound to have made small, fleeting mistakes when he'd began over a year ago. An occasional bystander on the street, not going far enough into the shadows, etcetera.

But by now, no one knew for sure which assassinations had been held by who, and Battousai was something that only came to people's minds when talking about ghost stories.

Some people had even decided it was just impossible for him to exist, and that the politicians and groupings of soldiers had simply deserted out of the fear of Kyoto.

But for anyone to know about Battousai's partnership with Kaoru, one thing was clear. There was a traitor in their midst.

While Kenshin had been talking, Katsura's eyes had fleeted towards the teenagers' room. Dark thoughts entered his consciousness before he could stop them

The one person who had been here the shortest. In the setting sun, he could almost imagine her writing secret messages to the Shishin-gumi.

But she had earned his respect and trust in a way that banished the thoughts from further pervading his mind. The girl was so young, for her to be both an assassin and a traitor, a spy, was simply impossible.

Her cries the day after the first kill were disturbing, and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand remembering her screeching wails.

No, she was too young. While she was sane, it would take a man of stone to be able to hold such a traitorous position amongst both sides of the war. She was too average, too hormonal. She was just a girl.

A young, innocent girl who'd been hit by tragedy, and forced into a career that highlighted her most loathed talents.

The Battousai had stopped talking and Katsura nodded absently.

"Himura-san, I hope you've reached the same conclusion I have. We must have picked up a traitor during our occupation at the inn."

Kenshin nodded, his red ponytail bobbing with the motion. Her rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck in an attempt to calm down.

It was useless. His back felt tense as he thought through all of the soldiers who were off eating, gambling, and getting drunk. The inn was empty to the point that it was uncomfortable.

None of the men that he could think of could possibly know about Kaoru's true occupation.

In fact, they probably simply thought she was a servant for the inn, and the occasional good lay for the Battousai.

He'd overheard a conversation before breakfast one day in which he'd almost turned against his comrades.

"_Hey, you see the Battousai lately? Got himself whipped over a little prostitute."_

_The two men surrounding the first snickered. One across from the table had leaned in, interested._

"_Prostitute? You mean the Kamiya kid? _

"_Yeah man. They sleep in the same room, and I constantly hear them rummaging late at night. Plus, you see the way Battousai's been? So relaxed. Probably just 'releasing' some of the frustration."_

"_Huh. She's a bit young, but still legal. I wonder how much she goes for," one of the men wondered out loud. They all guaffed._

"_Probably not for much. The Battousai doesn't get a whole lot of spending money, does he?"_

_Kenshin had bristled and stormed into the dining area, the room becoming silent. His bright, wild, amber eyes found the men. They'd insulted Kaoru._

_Called her a whore. And a cheap one at that._

Kenshin tightened his fists even know, thinking about it. He'd been unable to do anything but constantly glower at the men in front of him. When Kaoru had come in with the breakfast, she was smiling brightly, her blue eyes sparkling.

They had leered at her to the point that he made sure he was back at the room with her before the rest of the men had finished their meal. She'd thrown a fit, wanting to converse with the samurai she'd come to see as friends.

She was so blind sometimes.

No, most of them were perverts, and they were completely unaware of her true duty to their cause.

The only ones he could think of that knew her true nature was Katsura, himself, the two men who'd subjected her to torture, and I'izuka.

Katsura was, obviously, not the cause. The two men who had tortured her were very kind to her, to a point when they could call her 'Kaoru-chan' and she had stopped complaining about it.

They were so apologetic over what had happened that they refused to even let her cut vegetable, afraid that she'd cut herself.

They were like uncles, or maybe just older brothers. They doted on her to a point that it made Kenshin slightly jealous. When he brought up the matter to Katsura, the leader had only smiled at him, and told him to let it be.

After digging around a bit, hearing bits and pieces from his soldiers, he learnt that the two men were, indeed, brothers.

And in an attack of rogue samurai, had lost their sister to the point of deadly katana.

He doubted Kaoru knew anything of it, and hadn't asked.

But I'izuka.. Kenshin mouthed the name while in thought, and the trained eye of his leader caught it and formed it in his mind.

I'izuka was a man slightly disliked by all who knew him. His dark humor and forboding job was one that was a necessary evil. He simply researched and discussed with Katsura possible threats, and their heads would usually roll by the time the sun came over the horizon the next day.

Perhaps Katsura would speak to him. It would relax his nerves, and he needed to see the rat-like man squirm.

* * *

Kenshin hadn't been trying to hide his ki, so Kaoru knew he was coming without too much difficulty.

Although he was walking rather loudly, so perhaps that was the source of her information. She didn't need to flatter herself.

Sewing had been relaxing though, so she didn't store away her work despite when the door slid open and shut with the redhead's arrival. She saw his eyes give the bundle of elegant cloth a quick look, and saw confusion filter through his features.

"Kaoru, are you making another kimono?" She could hear the confusion in his voice as he walked closer, his eyebrows furrowed.

"No," she murmured in response, wondering vaguely if she should lie when he asked the follow-up question. She couldn't say that she was making training clothes, the silk was far to expensive.

And it wasn't like any of the other men in the inn were diminutive enough to fit into clothes made specifically for the redhead who was now looking at them, confused.

"What are you making then?" She felt him sit to her left, watching her fingers carefully, as though in anticipation of her pricking herself.

The idea of embarrassing herself by hurting herself in the only feminine task she had learnt to do well was unacceptable. Paying much more attention to her stitching, she kept her voice low in response.

"Wedding attire. Practice for my future husband."

He stiffened to her side, and she forced herself not to look at him a observe his reaction. She felt him move almost closer, his breath warm on her neck as he looked over her shoulder, more behind her now.

"When are you getting married?"

Kaoru stammered in response, her cheeks flushing. She knew he wasn't even all that close, but her thoughts made her far too aware that the soft cotton of her yukata could so easily be slipped off.

"I-I I don't.. I'm j-just m-making them f-for.."

"What's wrong, Kaoru?" She heard him ask over her pounding heart, his voice a tone higher in question.

_Stop it, Kaoru!_

Taking a calming breath through her nose, and exhaling slowly through her mouth, the young woman regained her composure.

"I don't know when exactly I'm going to be married, I just want to be prepared to make the attire when it come to that time. I'm almost fifteen, you know."

Kenshin's eyes darkened for a second before he nodded. The men's age for marriage was fifteen, while the women's was more around seventeen, when she'd matured enough to have a child safely.

Two years of practice was a very acceptable amount of time to prepare.

It still couldn't halt the jealousy raging through his veins.

"I.. Are you getting married?" Kaoru asked timidly, the air frozen in her lungs. She could think of not other reason why the innkeeper had given her Kenshin's measurements. It almost hurt her heart as she remembered that Kenshin had turned fifteen, and thus marrying wasn't object able.

Perhaps Kenshin's future wife couldn't sew the clothing. Perhaps Kenshin had mentioned that Kaoru could do it.

Had he been courting someone while she was preoccupied with her own assassinations? While he rarely let her go on her own, sometimes his own duties forced him from accompanying him.

Maybe those duties were with a woman.

Tears burnt her eyes as she looked down and concentrated on the seam she was forming. _Please say no, please say no._

"No," he sighed softly, before getting up and walking over to the other side of the room.

The answer was so simple, and Kaoru peered through her lashes to see Kenshin gazing out the window. His face was blank, and his violet orbs reflected the moonlight that beamed into their room.

She set aside her work and walked over to him. Her legs moved without a specific order from her brain. She rested on her knees at the base of the wall, and looked up at Kenshin, perched on the sill.

Her mother had done this only once in Kaoru's presence as a young girl, to her father, and Kaoru followed the movements now as though possessed.

Taking his hand in both of hers, she traced the lines on his palm. Her fingers lightly brushed against the callouses formed into his skin. She brought the hand to her lips and kissed softly, vaguely tasting the saltiness of his skin.

When she had asked her mother what had happened, her mother had replied that it was symbolic. It was a display of trust, of affection, of an inexplicable desire to make the person happy.

Kaoru could think of nothing better to do.

When she finally had the courage to look up at him, she could barely make out the features through the shadow of his silohuette. She saw the corners of his mouth indent and turn up. He leaned forward, his eyes half closed. She smiled in response, sitting up a little straighter, her eyes closing in response.

They were so close she could feel his breath washing across her face. It was so cool and refreshing, nearly addictive. His scent of sandalwood invaded her senses the closer they got to each other.

Her breath had almost stopped completely and she made a small, happy sigh. She watched him smile a bit wider and mimic her action.

As each millimeter was closed in, they both flushed deeply, looking very much like two tomatoes about to bump into each other.

"BATTOUSAI!"

Her heart stopped. Of course.

They both jumped away from each other, their eyes wide as they looked at the shadows stumbling across the rice paper of the walls, before the door opened. Two drunken men looked at the two of them and grinned.

"Oh Yumi, maybe you shouldn't.." one of the men slurred, before placing a lazy kiss on the woman's cheek.

They held a high-price looking prostitute on their arms, and the woman named Yumi smiled seductively at the red haired man. Kaoru bristled next to him, and he smiled affectionetly.

The prostitute took it that she was smiling at him.

While the inexplicable woman walked forward, Kaoru felt very much self-conscious. The woman had such pale skin you could almost see through it. Her wrists her delicate, her neck long and white. Her eyes were a deep brown, her hair piled on top of her head in such a way you could mistake her as a geisha.

Combs and bracelets seemed to be everywhere, and the elegantly tied obi in the front of her kimono brought forth a feeling of envy in Kaoru.

In the filtering of light caused by the moon, her hair glinted a deep emerald green, and the plum stain on her lips shone.

"Is this is the boy?" Her voice was so silky smooth, mature, and sweet that Kaoru thought she may never talk again, her own voice was so rough and young. She looked down on the ground as the woman walked closer. The heavy cloth of her kimono dragged on the floor as the woman leaned down to her future companion.

A deep, almost overpowering fragrance overcame the teenagers as they both avoided eye contact with the woman.

"Mm, Battousai, such a sexy name," Kenshin tried to lean back, hoping she would get the message of his deep, deep disinterest. "My name is Yumi, hun, and I've come to make you a man. Think of it as a.. Birthday present. From those two men over there."

Why, wasn't she forward?

The men wolf-whistled and high-fived each other, before returning to the interesting scene before them.

"Girl," Yumi spoke, looked at the girl down her nose, "I would like for you to leave. And please close the doors on your way out. My techniques are secret."

Anger surged through the young teenager, before quickly being blocked out by a lump in her throat. This woman, despite her occupation, was so eloquent, so beautiful, so _worthy_ of Kenshin's touches.

His first touches.

Kenshin hadn't had time to tell Kaoru to stay before the younger girl swiftly left the room, shutting the door behind her. He gritted his teeth as his eyes changed more from violet to a molten gold.

"C'mon, Battou-sama," Yumi murmured into his ear, before walking over to the futon, "Get undressed and let me teach you a few 'sword' techniques."

Oh Kami-sama..

He ignored the flush of embarassment that graced his cheeks when she said that, instead making a wide arc around her and the futon and left his room to find the vanishing Kendo princess.

* * *

He found her where he figured she went to think things through. She hadn't changed into a proper gi and hakama, instead using her yukata as a cover from any leering eyes.

Anger made her so beautiful.

He was struck by a feeling of worship as he watched her swing her sword, saw the blade catch the reflection of the moon. Her long, ink black hair spun with her every move, seeming to write poems in the air with every swift turn. She looked far more like a goddess than a fourteen year old girl.

Speaking of fourteen, she wouldn't be for very long. Her fifteenth birthday was fast approaching, looking him in the eye at the end of the month.

He saw her notice him watching her, but she didn't pause. Her body twisted to attack in a way so similar that it screamed at him.

_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu._

She had become so much faster over the short time she'd been there. Her quick eyes had caught and memorized his techniques, and she molded it with her own. It made a very defensive style, followed by extremely, quick, and lethal moves inbetween.

He didn't think as he unsheathed his sword, and lunged at her, mimicking her techniques.

It was a maddening slow way of fighting. It was a strain on the attention span as you blocked more and more of the same, simple attacks. But if you tried to shift the fight into something more aggressive, whoever was still on the defensive would lash out, forcing the other to once again work on dodging and counterattacking until they became more subdued.

Kenshin felt his back hit the bark of the tree, and his sword fell out of his grasp as he conceded to defeat, in a fight he hadn't planned on winning.

They didn't talk for a while as Kaoru pressed the dull part of her blade against his neck. She wasn't looking at his eyes, she was gazing at his lips, trying to find a hint of plum lipstick on them, evidence that he'd been ravishing, or ravished, by Yumi.

Very, very satisfied when she found none, she withdrew and grabbed the sheathe hanging out in the grass. Returning the sword to it's home, she felt a hand at the base of her back. It lead her forward, back into the inn, back into their room.

Yumi was gone, presumably with one of the other patrons in the inn. Neither of them took any more notice.

"What was up with that, Kaoru?" Kenshin mumbled softly as she was snuggling into her futon.

"Up with what?" Kaoru murmured into her pillow, her azure eyes looking up at his.

Kenshin held up his hand, "When you kissed my palm."

Unable to stop the words before they came, her lips opened and, with all serioussness, replied with a question instead of an answer. Her blue eyes blazed, but any flush that normally would've been expected didn't come.

"Why did you turn Yumi away? She's very beautiful."

The young man sighed and looked at the night sky again.

* * *

**A/N - Looking for a beta reader!**

Anyway, in case any of you reading this had to wait for the year-long update, please don't worry. I'll try not to fall into that writer's block again. Read and review. Remember, the more you review, the more I promise to update!

And oh - I'm thinking about writing a lemon, but then I remember what this story is rated, and I withdraw from it. But if you guys want one, perhaps when they both get a bit older and near the end of the war, then..

I'll write one!


	8. Ikedaya Inn

Some more humor in this chapter. But, as always, it gets sinister. Thak-you so much for all your reviews! Although I wish there were more, they would certainly be my incentive to write more.. Quickly.

Disclaimer - I do not own RK.

* * *

Steam rose from the pot of soup and began to blanket the small kitchen.

"Kaoru-chan!" The innkeeper shrieked and took off the top of the pot. More steam and smoke erupted from the scalding liquid and an acrid smell of burnt food permeated the air.

"I'm so sorry! Gomen! Gomen-nasai!" Kaoru tripped over her own feet rushing from the meeting room to the kitchen. She'd become distracted from her cooking by a card game that the samurai were playing. Cursing herself, she ran with as much speed that she had in her legs.

Clumsily, she finally made it to the kitchen, her face flushed.

"Aiee!"

Without thinking, her hands rushed forward to pick up the pot and pull it away from the fire. Howling in pain, she dropped the bowl, and the boiling soup covered the floor and soaked through her tabi.

Kaoru hopped up and down, from one foot to the other, jumping in the puddle instead of trying to get out of the mess. Her sentences were garbled swears and apologies as the innkeeper stood dumbfounded by the amazing lack of grace that swordswoman had.

Disturbed from his light nap, Kenshin had taken off to find the source of the screams and panic. Chuckling of the other men of the inn had seemed out of the ordinary, but he hadn't expected _this._

He chuckled from the doorway, his arms crossed, and Kaoru shot daggers at him.

In one hand he held a mop, and in the other was a small pile of bandages and rags. He should've expected this. She was simply too predictable.

No one would ever think she was the second best assassin of the Bakumatsu.

When Kaoru finally had enough sense to hop out of the soup puddled on the ground and into the outside hallway, her hands were burnt and smelled weird, and her feet ached terribly.

"I'll fix this mess, Kaoru. Maybe you should fix your wounds?" Kenshin's voice mocked her and forced a deep blush into her cheeks. She felt her face burn with the same sting as the soles of her feet, which forced her to stutter and sputter out random sentences.

"Mou!" She gave up and opted for the most aggravated syllable that came up in her head.

She pouted and stomped off, before making a small whimper as it aggravated her burnt feet.

Kenshin's laughter followed her all the way into their room. Kaoru slid the door shut with a loud SLAP and sat down, covering her blushing face with her hands in embarrassment.

* * *

The innkeeper had a salve she used for burns caused by powder bombs and blasts. It worked wonders on the occasional sunburn, and, with any luck, would prevent Kaoru's hands from blistering.

Her skin was tough from the constant sword training, so the burn had started to fade away the second her hands left the hot metal. The chances of any blisters forming under the calluses was very, very unlikely. But it's always better to be safe than sorry.

She wrapped the bandages tightly around her palms, slowly weaving the cloth between her fingers. The tight cloth made the burns sting a little, and her hands felt uncomfortably wet from the salve.

The bandages became a little damp and loose from the salve, and she figured that in a few minutes she would be able to take them off.

Carefully running her wounded fingers though her inky black hair, her azure eyes landed at the closet.

She stood up, her legs slightly numb from sitting on them for so long. Wobbling ever so gently, her hand rested on the knob of the closet, and she slid open the rice-paper door.

Inside, carefully folded, laid an elegantly sewn gi and hakama set, made to wear for only one man. A deep feeling of pride made her chest swell, and she grinned goofily.

She slid the door shut behind her, standing still in the cramped closet space. Kenshin didn't change his clothes during the daylight, so it was very improbable that he'd seen his.. Wedding attire.

Her index finger drew lazy circles on the delicate silk, and with a sigh, her imagination overwhelmed all other senses.

"_Oh Kaoru! I'm home!" Kenshin walked into the Kamiya dojo, his crimson hair held in a low ponytail. He carried nothing but a smile, and his clothes were finely made and pressed._

"_Oh Kenshin, oh Anata, how happy I am to see you!" Kaoru walked out of the kitchen, showing off a well-made meal on the table, with a little boy starting to happily pick at his rice. _

_His small voice yelled out as Kaoru walked towards Kenshin. "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!"_

_Kenshin walked forward and embraced her tightly, swinging her around in a small circle. "Oh Koishii, you know how much I love it when you cook dinner! Your cooking abilities are at par with only your excellence at kenjutsu."_

"_Oh Kenshin! You're so kind. Your new job as a businessman gives you such a large salary, but you're so excellent at your work that you come home before I'm even done with eating lunch!"_

_Kenshin threw his head back and laughed, before laying a soft kiss on his wife's lips. _

"_Oh Koishii, I love you, even more than your famous tofu."_

"_I love you too, Kenshin."_

"_Oh Kaoru.. Kaoru.. Kaoru.."_

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru jumped as she snapped out of her fantasy, nearly falling out of the closet _through_ the door. Flustered, she set the wedding set to one of the far corners of the closet and opened the door.

Kenshin's silhouette was still outside the room, letting Kaoru breathe a sigh of relief. Her secret was still safe.

"Yes, Kenshin?" Her voice was a little wobbly from the earlier shock, but she shook it off of her lips.

"Can I come in?" Kenshin's voice was a bit mocking and condescending. He heard her scoff from behind the door, and figured it was safe to come in.

What he wasn't prepared for however, was the deep flush still highlighting Kaoru's cheeks.

"Oro?"

Kaoru blinked. And then blinked again.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Kaoru jumped on his reluctance to talk, "Oh my gosh! Did you just say 'Oro'? That's so adorable! I would've never thought the Battousai would be able to say something so.. So.." She paused in her rambling to think for the right word.

Kenshin took full advantage of the silence and changed the subject.

"So, what was going on in the kitchen earlier? Are you a Shishin-gumi spy planning on burning down our headquarters?"

Kaoru's glare stopped him from questioning her further. She flipped her ponytail from one shoulder to the other, a useless motion, and her eyes blazed like blue flames. Her hands landed on his hips, and her voice was surprisingly calm and mature.

"There's a festival tonight."

Kenshin quirked an eyebrow, waiting for further response.

Kaoru sighed in exasperation. "That means there's going to be more visitors looking for something to eat tonight, and I figured I'd help the innkeeper cook more.. Festive food for the men."

"Is the on-fire type of food considered festive? Is charred, smoking food the new fad of cuisine?" Kenshin teased, taking a step closer to her. "Or were you hoping to poison the Ishin-Shishi and send them to heaven to celebrate?"

He watched in enjoyment as she bristled underneath his mocking.

"What? As if you could do any better! I bet that if it weren't for the innkeeper, you'd have killed yourself! Or is the Hitokiri Battousai some sort of incredible cook?" Kaoru shot back, her cheeks ablaze and her eyes welling with tears of embarrassment. Kenshin took it as an incentive and ignored her tears, despite his better judgement.

Teenage boys are quite cruel.

"Actually, I'm quite the excellent cook. My Shishio was quite honest about my cooking, and I learned rather quickly. How about you? Why weren't you taught the simple tasks of wifery?"

Kaoru bit her lip, cringing. Her mother had given up on teaching Kaoru how to cook long before she could even remember.

"_Kaoru? Get the hell out of my kitchen!"_

"_But Mommy! The boys at the dojo said that I needed to learn how to cook to become a good wife! Ganske-kun said he would marry me if I could make some good tofu!"_

_Mrs. Kamiya slapped Kaoru's hand with her wooden spoon and proceeded to push her out of the kitchen._

"_No! Not after last time!"_

"_But Mommy, I-"_

"_Out!"_

Rolling her shoulders, Kaoru released her tooth's hold on her lip and racked her brain for a comeback. Kenshin looked at her, a large grin on his face.

"Or were you planning on coming of marriageable age being nothing more than a man with breasts?"

_Kenshin no baka!_

"Are you one to talk, Battousai?"

Kenshin paused in his mocking, "What're you talking about?"

Kaoru circled around him, making disappointed clicking noises against the roof of her mouth. "I mean your marriageable traits. Look at how diminutive you are! Your height, your stature.. In fact..!"

She took a few steps back before walking back in front of him.

"Yes, yes. It all makes sense now. Your smooth, smooth hair, flawless complexion, and incredibly _pretty _eyes. Your possible excellence at cooking, and your grace. Plus how silent you are!"

Kenshin's eyebrow quirked, "What of it?"

"You're the perfect wife!"

Kenshin sputtered and took a step back, his eyes wide. His manly ego shattered inside of him. It was one thing to be feared in the streets for his blood red hair and his amber eyes. In fact, it allowed him to protect the one girl he had under his care.

And she called him _pretty_ and _the perfect wife_.

Kaoru took another step up to him, her index finger tapping her chin.

"I rather envy you. Could you give me some tips on _pleasing _my future husband? Certainly, with a few lessons from you, I could learn how to become more feminine."

His chin twitched, and in a sudden bit of despair, he realized why. She was becoming slightly blurry and he blinked to clear his vision. His nose burnt ever so slightly.

Oh Kami-sama, if he started tearing up in front of her, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Oh no. Am I making Ken-chan cry?"

"Busu!" He yelled out without thinking, finding it the only insult he could bring forth on his lips.

"Girly man!"

"Kendo queen!"

"Carrot-top!"

"Hag!"

"Pretty boy!"

"Scar face!"

Kaoru froze, and one of her hands covered the bandage on her left cheek. Kenshin's breath caught in his throat as he saw the tears that had, before, been only a thin sheen over her eyes, fall down her cheeks.

He cursed himself and one of his hands reached out to wipe off one of the tears. She cringed away from his touch, her blue eyes darkened.

_Stop crying Kaoru!_

"A-at least I.." She shook her head and wiped her cheeks, looking up and sniffling.

"At least I make a better man than you do." Her voice was small, but a good amount of cockiness was worked into it.

"Bullshit," Kenshin's voice was quiet and cautious, fearful of her tears.

"Wanna bet?" Kaoru held her hand out, expecting a handshake. Kenshin watched it warily, turning his chin up, his eyes boring into hers.

"How so?"

"I bet you I will have a larger following of women if I dress up as a man, than you will of men if you dress up as a woman," her eyes sparkled with mischief, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

_Yes._

"The men of Kyoto are such perverts. That's too easy of a challenge. I'd have the entirety of the male population trying to bed me in a second."

"Stop stalling! Do you except? Or is the greatest hitokiri of Kyoto too scared of dressing in drag?"

Kenshin's jaw ticked, but he held firm.

"Besides, Kenshin, it's a festival going on outside. The men and women on the streets are looking for spouses, not for prostitutes."

He looked at her hand then back into her eyes. She had a point.

Slowly he lifted his hand and shook hers.

"I'll try not to break too many hearts."

* * *

Kaoru was dressed in a matter of minutes, men's clothing being easy and quick to put on, since she constantly had to change into them with each assassination.

Kenshin, on the other hand, was still fumbling with the tie of his under-kimono.

Kaoru winced as she heard a small tear as the big-bad assassin took a step a bit too far and ripped the gentle seaming. She stood up and ran over, hoping to prevent any further damage.

"Aah, Kenshin, just let me do it..!"

Kenshin twitched one of the corners of his lip, making a smirk as Kaoru fluidly tied the sash and grabbed the silk kimono off of the stand. He shooed her away when she began to put it over his shoulders.

"Let me have some dignity, for Kami's sake.." He muttered as he let the blue silk run over his arms to his shoulders. The much smoother cloth felt like water on his skin, and he looked at it blankly. Then he noticed the sleeves.

"What the hell? How long do these sleeves have to be?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes and began to tie the kimono shut with a string. Taking a towel, she placed it around Kenshin's midsection.

"What's the towel for?"

"To make it look like if you had any curves, you were covering them up," Kaoru murmured, "Those men really do like women to look like columns."

"What are you talking about, Kaoru? I never saw any towels on the women of Kyoto. Perhaps you're simply insecure about your own figure. The women of Japan are wonderfully cylindrical."

Kaoru rolled her eyes again at the naivity, taking the obi-ita and wrapping it over his waist twice over, before tying it. Kenshin knocked it, and noted how it made a solid noise.

"What's this?"

Kaoru looked at him like he was an idiot, although her couldn't tell because she was behind him. "Kenshin, you must be kidding me. Have you never-"

"Dressed in a kimono? No."

Kaoru paused, realizing the truth of his answer, and the dumbness of her question. "And you've never asked, say, your mother how she dressed?"

His shoulders fell forward, and his head hung down.

"My mother died of cholera."

There was an awkward silence as Kaoru finished tying the stiff cardboard around his waist. Her hands against the stiff board were the only amount of noise made as she worked.

Her voice was shaky as she finally began to speak again.

"This is called the obi ita.. It keeps the obi from becoming crinkled when you move." She felt Kenshin nod as she tied the string in the back, making a double-knotted bow. She bent down to pick up the silken pile that was going to be his obi.

Carefully, she took the obi and wound it twice around his waist, before picking a silk cord up from the ground.

"Kenshin, can you hold this for me?"

Kaoru waited until his hands firmly held the back of the obi upright before stringing the cord around his back and walking back in front of him.

Kenshin made a small grunt, "This silk is heavy."

She tied the cord into a box knot without responding, and was about to walk back behind him when his hand grabbed her wrist.

His eyes were a deep violet as he looked at her, taking a small breath before speaking.

"Kaoru, please don't be upset."

Kaoru flushed deeply and looked down at his collarbone instead of back into his gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your parents. I know it must've been terr-"

His finger on her lips quieted her from continuing to speak.

"They passed away before I made any solid memories of them. You shouldn't be ashamed. Besides, we hold the same sorrows, ne?"

There was a deep ache in her heart as she remembered her own mother and father.

Kaoru nodded her head before darting back behind him and began tying a butterfly knot.

It took a few minutes, but finally she patted her hand against the heftiest part of the design.

"I must say, I do tie these better when they're not behind me." She walked back in front of him and beamed, before her smile faltered.

Kenshin caught her hesitation and took a worried step forward, concerned. "What is it, Kaoru?"

"You're so pretty..."

_I'm not even that pretty._

Without even knowing it, Kenshin had taken her ego and self-confidence and torn both into pieces.

The best assassin in all of Kyoto - no, Japan! - was possibly the prettiest cross dresser she'd ever seen.

Possibly the prettiest cross-dresser in the entire world.

And certainly prettier than the teenager Kaoru saw looking back at her in in the mirror.

She turned away, but Kenshin caught the gist of her thoughts from the emotions on her face. She was like a book to him, sometimes.

Oh, sweet revenge.

"Oh? Is Kaoru-_kun _a bit jealous? Perhaps I'm a little prettier than you."

Kaoru bristled at the masculine honorific. She reached up to the bandage on her cheek and ripped it off, showing off the single scar. She pointed to it and sneered at him. "I'm afraid, dear Ken-_chan, _that my face is far more manly. After all," she shrugged and turned her back on him, "Who would be scared of a _girly_ assassin?"

Kaoru undid the ribbon she still had in her hair and tied her hair up in a very high ponytail with a leather strip.

When she turned back around, she looked very deadly indeed. The scar on her face masked the feminine eyelashes and full lips, and became the main feature of her face. Her eyes looked darker, and the bits of hair she usually let frame her face were now tied up, showing the defined edge of her jaw.

She looked like a deadly assassin.

Until she grinned.

"Well, don't you make such a cute damsel in distress?" She teased, breaking out of the illusion of a deadly man.

Kenshin was still searching for a come back when she came back up behind him, tying his hair up with the ribbon. He felt her pull the ponytail back on itself, and one of her hairpins slide in against his scalp.

He felt her breath against his neck, and goose bumps arose on his skin.

"There."

* * *

They finished up cleaning the room, putting away the rest of the supplies. Kaoru bent over to pick up her change purse, before perking back up, smelling the air. Her stance turned tense, forcing the aura of the room to turn very wary.

"Kenshin, do you smell that?"

Kenshin took a few sniffs before nodding. "It smells like burnt wood."

Kaoru frowned and looked out the window, seeing an eerie glow on the other side of town. "Are they setting up bonfires? Why would they do that before the fireworks? It'll ruin the night sky!"

At first, the silence that settled between them allowed for their sensitive ears to pick up on the crackling of burning wood and a commotion.

Then there was a high-pitched scream of terror that echoed across the night air.

The noise of flurried steps resounded down the hallway as one of the samurai slid open the doors and ran inside the room the two teenagers shared.

He began to talk in-between his pants, but paused when he saw the two who were looking at him.

There was a long, awkward pause as he looked them over, trying to decide if he was dreaming or if the two main assassins of the Ishin-Shishi were, indeed, cross dressing.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru flushed a deep red and began to sputter explanations before there was a louder, more urgent, scream from outside.

"Kyoto is on fire! KYOTO IS ON FIRE!"

The two teenagers looked at each other before back at the man, who seemed to have regained his breath and his senses.

"The meeting at the Ikedaya was ambushed. When one of the men was trying to escape, he knocked over a candle, and the sake they were drinking.. It ignited..!" he spoke quickly, out of breath after the explanation.

Kaoru ran to the other side of them room before the other two could blink and grabbed her katana. Tying it tightly to her hakama, she looked at the other two.

"I'm going." Turning her back on both of them, she jumped out of the window and into the streets.

"Kamiya-san! You'll get yourself killed! The Wolves of Mibu are surrounding the place!" The soldier screamed after her, before turning to Kenshin.

"Battousai-san, you have to catch her."

Kenshin nodded and started to run towards to his katana. The tightness of the kimono forced him to take small steps and he fumbled and fell forward, catching himself. By the time he reached the katana, he heard a small snort from the samurai behind him.

_You probably don't look like much of an assassin. What with your kimono and the fact you CAN'T EVEN WALK WITHOUT FALLING._

A small glare of his shoulder stopped the samurai's laughter, and Kenshin took the blade and held it up to the silk of the kimono. The quickest way to get into the correct clothes would be to cut these off.

"_Oh Kenshin, look at this kimono!" Kaoru held the robe up in front her, smiling widely at her handiwork. _

"_Your seams are crooked," he snorted back at her._

"_Shut up! I'm so proud. This is my only formal kimono. I think I might just wear it at my wedding." She squeaked, closing her eyes and holding the robe up to her chest, smiling widely._

_Kenshin gazed at her for a second, his own smile mirroring hers before he began to speak again._

"_Who would want to marry you, Kaoru? Perhaps only a madman. I'm sure he'd be too insane to notice your attire," Kenshin scoffed teasingly at her. She responded with a dark pink flush that went to the tips of her ears._

"_Kenshin, can't you simply tell me that I'll be pretty? At least on my wedding day?"_

_He blinked at her, surprised by the simple and innocent request._

"_You'll look.. Stunning.."_

He couldn't do it. He couldn't cut apart her handiwork. Not even despite the fact her very _life _was in danger.

Taking the katana in one hand and lifting up the hem of the kimono, he followed her path. Taking very, _very_ small steps.

* * *

Following the smoke and the screams, Kaoru found the crowd and followed where they had come from. It only toomk a few minutes before she found her destination.

The burning Ikedaya inn stood before her.

Kaoru deftly hid in the shadows of the building nearby.

Months of working with Kenshin had forced her to learn new tricks, like blending in with the buildings, hiding her ki, and, of course, killing silently.

A group of Shishin-gumi walked in front of her.

Rage filled her blood and her sword rang out without so much as a hesitation. Instinct took over and muscle memory forced her sword through the bodies of several Shishin-gumi members before they realized what had happened.

There was a cry and more of the enemy began to pour out of the cracks of the city. She didn't care about hiding or running away. Her sword ran through each man without so much as a second glance.

"It's the Hitokiri Battousai!" Screamed one man before his head rolled on the ground.

_I'm not Battousai._

Kaoru stopped as the thought ran through her head. No more men were attacking her, which was a blessing, because she was completely vulnerable for attack. She looked in terror at the bodies surrounding her.

_What am I doing?_

The terror was replaced by a realization of why she had come. She turned and ran towards the inn, kicking through the door.

"Katsura-sama!" Her scream for her leader rang through the streets as she ran into the burning hallways, trying to find the secret meeting room.

The smell of alcohol pervaded her senses, and, following the scent, she found several men. They had seemed to of passed out from smoke inhalation. Seeing no man that she really knew, Kaoru began to panic.

The heat of the fire around her was a constant reminder of the danger surrounding. Frantically, she began turning the men over, looking at their faces and trying to find the one and only Katsura Kogorou.

"Kamiya.. san…" a voice murmured over the roaring of the flames. She found the source at once, and nearly cried when she saw the leader of the Ishin-Shishi coughing up the smoke. His eyes were barely open before they fell back closed, signaling his loss of consciousness.

Dragging the man out of the burning structure was thankfully easier than she had expected. The fire had yet to overtake the doorway, and the cooler night air was like a kiss to her hot skin.

Kaoru pulled Katsura to an alleyway that was made of damp stone. It looked safe enough from the surrounding fire.

Unfortunately, it was also a bit too close to the Ikedaya to be safe from any wandering Shishin-gumi.

Kaoru decided the best thing to do would be to wait at the inn and attack anyone who came too close.

Looking towards the man she'd come to accept as her leader, she made a small prayer and blew him a kiss.

"Stay safe, Katsura-san. Please don't die."

When Kaoru walked back to the inn, the fire was much worse and the thick smoke made her eyes and lungs burn. After a deep breath, she fell to her knees and began coughing heavily, grabbing at her throat.

It felt like she was choking on the air.

"KAORU!" The yell was the one thing that kept her conscious, and she looked through her watery eyes to see the redheaded assassin tripping over his own feet, but still running towards her.

That was, before a building in-between them collapsed, and all she could see was the burning rubble and his screams.

"Kaoru! KAORU!" Kenshin yelled at the top of his lungs, the acrid smoke of the rubble making his voice crack. He'd seen her collapse, and had been so close. So close to keeping her safe from the enemies he knew was there.

_So close._

There was the sound of a sword being sheathed that awoke Kaoru from the shock of the disappearing Battousai. Turning to look over her shoulder, her breath caught in her throat, and she jumped on her feet as though she had gotten a sudden lungful of fresh air.

The blue jacket over the the matching gi and hakama was a dead giveaway.

A Wolf of Mibu.

Over the headband stuck out four pieces of hair, along with a pair of squinted eyes. His voice was deep and almost monotonous, but there was a hint of another emotion hidden in the tones. It seemed.. Respectful.

"So, you're the partner of the infamous Hitokiri Battousai."

Kaoru swallowed, hiding her fear behind a mask of calm.

"What are you talking about? I _am _Battousai."

The man laughed. First, just a snort. Then a chortle. Then a chuckle. Until finally his head fell back as he began to laugh harder, before his face reached it's earlier seriousness.

"I'm not stupid. I have faced Battousai in battle. His hair is.. Unforgettable."

Shock spread over Kaoru's body like ice water as she took a step backwards.

_If he faced Kenshin.. He should be dead._

Kaoru desperately tried to rack her memories of Kenshin noting any failure. Only one thing came up.

"_I've never lost. But once, I didn't win.." Kenshin trailed off as they downed another round of sake._

"_Oh? What happened? A draw?"_

"_A bit. The man is incredibly powerful. I've never met anyone with his skill."_

"_Oh? Who is he?"_

"_He's the captain of the third unit of the Shishin-gumi, Saitoh Hajime."_

Kenshin had neglected to mention he was a Wolf of Mibu.

Panic set in as she realized what it was. This was Kenshin's equal. The one man he'd been unable to defeat.

She was nowhere near Kenshin's skill. He took it easy on her when they sparred. But she'd seen his assassinations. His incredible speed and power.

There was no way she'd be able to win.

Kaoru nearly dropped her sword in realization, but managed to keep her numb fingers firm on the hilt.

The man, Saitoh, took his stance. He crouched forward, his free hand on the tip of the blade. The action didn't carry the same seriousness as Kaoru was once again brought back to her earlier memories.

"_How come he didn't kill you?"_

"_We were too even a match. If it wasn't for the speed of the Battou-jutsu, perhaps I wouldn't be here, drinking sake with you."_

_Battou-jutsu!_

Kaoru fell into the famous stance of her partner.

Hitokiri Battousai. Kenshin.

Her hand twitched as it hovered over the hilt, her right shoulder jutting ever so forward. Adrenaline pumped through every vein of her body.

A single, ignited leaf began to flutter towards the ground. In the split second before it hit the ground, both parties decided to use it was their marker.

_Now._

A/N - REVIEW PLEASE! Any constructive critisism would be nice. Just, also remember, I did this after my last day of finals.

And I only had a sucker to eat.

So please give a starving author some love!


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